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Species Details

Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameSnowberry Clearwing SeasonalityAdults have been collected in Alberta April through June, with the peak flight in late May and June. IdentificationA medium-size (3.5-5 cm wingspan) day-flying moth with translucent wings with narrow dark margins and the veins lined with dark scales. The forewing apex and base are red-brown. Both the head and thorax are olive-brown, the basal half of the abdomen is black with steel-blue patches and the posterior half is yellow, tipped with black. The larger Hummingbird Clearwing has wider margins on the wings, and dark olive brown, not yellow, patches on the abdomen. The Slender Clearwing (H. gracilis) is restricted to the boreal forest region, and lacks scaling in the forewing cell. Although not yet confirmed for Alberta, the very similar H. senta should be watched for in the mountains. "Most of the diagnostic characters (for separating senta and diffinis) are trends but some are fairly good. In senta, the first two abdominal segments are black and the next three segments are yellow (dorsally), while in diffinis the tendency is for the first three segments to be black and the next two segments are yellow (dorsally). In senta, the ventrum of the abdomen is almost all yellow except the black anal tuft and the legs are yellow, while in diffinis the ventrum of the abdomen has significant black and the legs are black... in addition, there is a black stripe running across the thorax from the eyes to the abdomen" (J. Tuttle, pers. corr., September 2001).
D. Macaulay image

Scientific Name Hemaris diffinis Common Name Snowberry Clearwing Habitat Open areas including meadows, clearings, roadsides and woodland edges. Seasonality Adults have been collected in Alberta April through June, with the peak flight in late May and June. Identification
A medium-size (3.5-5 cm wingspan) day-flying moth with translucent wings with narrow dark margins and the veins lined with dark scales. The forewing apex and base are red-brown. Both the head and thorax are…
A medium-size (3.5-5 cm wingspan) day-flying moth with translucent wings with narrow dark margins and the veins lined with dark scales. The forewing apex and base are red-brown. Both the head and thorax are olive-brown, the basal half of the abdomen is black with steel-blue patches and the posterior half is yellow, tipped with black. The larger Hummingbird Clearwing has wider margins on the wings, and dark olive brown, not yellow, patches on the abdomen. The Slender Clearwing (H. gracilis) is restricted to the boreal forest region, and lacks scaling in the forewing cell. Although not yet confirmed for Alberta, the very similar H. senta should be watched for in the mountains. "Most of the diagnostic characters (for separating senta and diffinis) are trends but some are fairly good. In senta, the first two abdominal segments are black and the next three segments are yellow (dorsally), while in diffinis the tendency is for the first three segments to be black and the next two segments are yellow (dorsally). In senta, the ventrum of the abdomen is almost all yellow except the black anal tuft and the legs are yellow, while in diffinis the ventrum of the abdomen has significant black and the legs are black... in addition, there is a black stripe running across the thorax from the eyes to the abdomen" (J. Tuttle, pers. corr., September 2001).
D. Macaulay image
Life History
The Snowberry Clearwing is diurnal and is most often encountered nectaring at spring flowers, including dandelions and lilacs. They are more of a grassland and open meadow species than the Hummingbird and Slender…
The Snowberry Clearwing is diurnal and is most often encountered nectaring at spring flowers, including dandelions and lilacs. They are more of a grassland and open meadow species than the Hummingbird and Slender Clearwings. Snowberry Clearwings are rarely encountered when not on the wing, they look more like bees than moths. When the adults first emerge from the pupae, the wings are completely scaled, but most scales are loosely attached and fall off during the initial flight, leaving much of the wing translucent. There appears to be a single brood each year.
Conservation No concerns. Diet Info
No Alberta data; elsewhere the reported larval hosts are Snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis, S. racemosus, and S. mollis), and Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida). Adults visit many species of flowers for nectar.
No Alberta data; elsewhere the reported larval hosts are Snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis, S. racemosus, and S. mollis), and Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida). Adults visit many species of flowers for nectar.
Range
From the Atlantic coast to Vancouver Island, mainly south of the boreal forest but widespread in the mountains, south to Texas and northern Mexico. In Alberta, it occurs in open meadows north into the southern edge…
From the Atlantic coast to Vancouver Island, mainly south of the boreal forest but widespread in the mountains, south to Texas and northern Mexico. In Alberta, it occurs in open meadows north into the southern edge of the Boreal forest, but is most common in the foothills.
Hemaris diffinis
Hemaris diffinis

Citation

Page Citation for Hemaris diffinis

Page Citation

"Species Details - Hemaris diffinis, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-544/9-1866. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

References

Specimen Information

There are 61 specimens of this Species.

61 results plotted on map in 21 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM9008 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9009 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9010 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9013 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9014 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9015 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9016 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9017 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9021 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9022 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9023 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9024 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM9025 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBelicek, Joseph

UASM2991 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1918-06-18

UASM9007 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1915-06-17

UASM24615 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Clear River Collected ByPike, Edward Marshall Date Collected1984-05-13

UASM24614 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Sand Hill Lake Collected ByPike, Edward Marshall Date Collected1984-07-03

UASM42946 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer River Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1983-07-15

UASM42947 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Bragg Creek Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1985-06-09

UASM19641 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Travers Reservoir Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1996-05-25

UASM19018 - Hemaris diffinis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1918-06-17

Adult Seasonal Distribution