Hemaris diffinis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Hemaris diffinis, the snowberry clearwing, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. This moth is sometimes called "hummingbird moth" or "flying lobster". This moth should not be confused with the hummingbird hawk-moth of Europe.
It is about 32–51 millimetres (1.25–2 in). The moth's abdomen has yellow and black segments much like those of the bumblebee, for which it might be mistaken due to its color and flight pattern similarities. The moth's wings lack the large amount of scales found in most other lepidopterans, particularly in the centralized regions, making them appear clear. It loses the scales on its wings early after the pupa stage due to its highly active flight tendencies.
It flies during the daylight much like the other hummingbird moths, but it may also continue flight into the evening, particularly if it has found a good source of nectar. The moth is found in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia (including the Cariboo region), southern Ontario, eastern Manitoba, and western Quebec in Canada. In the United States, this species has been located in southern California and Baja California Norte, Illinois, and east through most... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Snowberry Clearwing sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 137 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 188th most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Snowberry Clearwing in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Snowberry Clearwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Snowberry Clearwing sightings, New York City ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), Dallas (United States, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Snowberry Clearwing is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (137 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
