r/species • u/FlacidSalad • Jul 03 '22

What is this critter? Insect

Post image
62 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

13

u/Tabora__ Jul 04 '22

A hummingbird moth!!! I just found one at work a few days ago and I had to Google it. They're actually really really cool to look at it was my first time seeing one. I work in a nursery so I see all kinds of animals and bugs now

3

u/FlacidSalad Jul 04 '22

Awesome, thank you! Quite the aptly named lil bugger. My friend an I were just watching some bees and then all the sudden see this behemoth hovering around, seriously it's wings look so small compared to it's body.

2

u/Tabora__ Jul 04 '22

Haha I wanted to post the video i took on here but I think it's only if u need an identification, but I can pretend I don't know 😉 I wonder if the wings were the same as the one I saw, it had a clear frame or something like that

1

u/hansofoundation Jul 04 '22

Before looking at the comments I stared for a long time and was like yep, that's a snail...bird. It's a snailbird.

4

u/kuzcopap Jul 04 '22

Definitely a hummingbird moth. Though we called it a butterfly lobster until we googled it

1

u/FlacidSalad Jul 04 '22

That's beautiful

2

u/FlacidSalad Jul 03 '22

Found in Central New York, Powder Mills park. It moved and collected nectar (I assume) in a fashion very similar to a humming bird. Lived here most of my life and I can't say I have ever seen this before.

2

u/MoopooianLuver Jul 03 '22

Could it be a “hover fly”? They suck nector too. I thought a bee type critter, but seems to big! Hope someone confirms, denies or offers other ideas!

It is a stumper!

1

u/FlacidSalad Jul 03 '22

It did indeed "hover" though I thought they were much smaller than this. This one is larger than a horsefly, 1-11/2 " long not including the proboscis

2

u/GRMarlenee Jul 04 '22

Just found one of the larvae burrowing in to pupate yesterday.

1

u/EdifyingOrifice Jul 04 '22

Snowberry Clearwing

1

u/Being_Less_White Jul 04 '22

That's Mongoloid Mike.

1

u/Fascinated585 Jul 04 '22

Lobster bug is what I call them lol. I have some that visit my butterfly bush each year. Love seeing them.