Need help identifying unusual flying bee like creature in my garden.

Question

Pic is a little fuzzy but I noticed this amazing thing feeding on our Butterfly Bush and flying around our garden. I've never seen anything like it. It's wings flap as rapidly as a hummingbird so it can hover effortlessly while eating. It flies and maneuvers almost as fast as a hummingbird as well, yet it looks similar to a bee. But it's very large, over an inch long and wide bodied. It's coloring is more of a reddish brown than a honey bee. Notice the transparency in the wings, the head and the antennas! I'd love to know what this is. I'm in Northwest Illinois, USA.

Click link to view picture: http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Suezooms/1218324414.jpg

Answer 1

It is in the family of insects called Spingidea, Spinx moth or Hawk moth or Hummingbird moth.

I like the name Hummingbird Moth the best because that is what it reminds me of.

I live in Massachusetts, and I have only seen one in my life time.

Usually they are nocturnal, this species was in broad daylight.

Its tong unrolled into the center of a petunia as it hovered just like a hummingbird in front of the plant.   WOW!

Answer 2

It looks much like a Sphinx moth. Check out this article.   http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/s...

Answer 3

Thanks for asking this question. I saw this creature a few times this year and once a few years ago. I freaked me out. I thought it was some kind of bee hummingbird hybrid. I didn't want to feel the sting that this would give! Thank God it's a moth.

Answer 4

Humminbird moths are cool and creepy looking, little alien flying lobsters or something equally weird. If you move slowly you can look at them closely --- really cool and creepy--- don't kill them, they are very cool.

Answer 5

I just saw one of these last week for the first time.It is called a hummingbird moth.There was one feeding on my impatiionce.

Spell check is telling me I spelled this wrong but the word they suggest that I replace it with is implants!