Hemaris thysbe (Fabricius 1775)

No concerns.

Adults are on the wing late May - July.

Occurs throughout most of the wooded parts of eastern North America, west accross the boreal forest region to B.C. and Washington. In Alberta it is found throughput the boreal forest, the northern part of the aspen parklands and in the foothills and lower elevations in the mountains.

A fairly large (4.5-6.2 cm. wingspan) day-flying moth with narrow, pointed translucent wings. The wings have dark olive brown (forewing) or red brown (hindwing) bases, a wide dark outer margin, and the veins are lined with dark scales. The heavy body is covered in dark olive-brown hairs, except for a wide dark band on the abdomen. In Alberta, it can be mistaken only for the Snowberry Clearwing, which is smaller, has narrow dark outer margins on the wings, and large yellow patches on the sides of the lower abdomen. The very similar Slender Clearwing (H. gracilis) has been reported from eastern Saskatchewan and may eventually turn up in eastern Alberta. H. thysbe can always be told from other species of Hemaris by the row of dark scales bisecting the forewing discal cell (absent in other Hemaris species). cc-by-nc

droit d’auteur

University of Alberta Museums