Hemaris

Hemaris is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae, commonly known as clearwing hawk-moths or bee hawk-moths. Members of Hemaris are small to medium-sized and are distinguished by largely transparent portions of their wings, which lack dense scaling. The wings are typically bordered with dark margins, and the body is robust and often resembles that of bees or wasps, sometimes with a metallic or olive-green appearance. Adults are diurnal or crepuscular and hover at flowers to sip nectar with a long proboscis, a behavior that leads to frequent misidentification as hummingbirds or bees.

Distribution and habitat: Hemaris species occur across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. They inhabit woodlands, meadows, hedgerows, and gardens where nectar sources are available.

Life cycle and ecology: Eggs are laid on host plants, and the larvae feed on species such as honeysuckles (Lonicera) and viburnums, among others. After feeding, the larvae pupate in leaf litter and many species overwinter as pupae in temperate regions.

Notable species: In North America, Hemaris thysbe, the hummingbird clearwing, is widespread. In Europe and Asia, other Hemaris species occur, contributing to the genus’s diverse representation in the temperate zone.

Taxonomy: Hemaris belongs to the subfamily Macroglossinae within Sphingidae. The genus comprises numerous species with similar clearwing morphology adapted to mimicants like bees and hummingbirds.