Bumblebee Moth

This afternoon I was checking my flowerbeds to see how much weeding and deadheading I need to do in the morning. There were a lot of bumblebees and butterflies on the zinnias. But there were also a couple of bumblebee moths among them.

Praying the batteries were not dead and the moths would still be there, I raced back to the house to get my camera. Both prayers were answered. Below is the best of the photos I was able to get this afternoon. They left before I hit on the right setting. The wings are a blur.


(To see a larger view, click on the photo. But please DO NOT DIRECT LINK to my photographs. If you want it, please save it to your own computer.)

I had read about these moths that hover over flowers as they feed, but I had never seen one until a couple of years ago. That time I saw a hummingbird moth which is larger and reddish in color. I thought it was a hummingbird until I saw the antennae.

I first saw bumblebee moths feeding on the azaleas this spring. Their bodies are bit longer than a bumblebee's and they are feathery-looking on the tail end. But without looking closely, you would think you were seeing more bees. Each time I have seen them, there were bumblebees feeding on nearby plants. You can see a better photograph which shows the wings at this site.

I plan to keep trying to get a better photograph if the moths keep showing up. I have more experience with aperture settings since I usually keep my camera on aperture priority. But these creatures move fast and never land. So I will be getting some much needed practice with shutter speeds.