Bugland: It’s a Hummingbird, It’s a Bumblebee, It’s A Sphinx!
Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis) are sometimes called bumblebee moths, and people commonly confuse them with hummingbirds. That’s because these stout moths, with two bands of bright bee-yellow color on their abdomens, are able to hover around like hummingbirds. They move lazily around gardens, with their wings whirring, as they sip the nectar from a variety of different flowers. This Nessus Sphinx was observed in a Park Hill Garden on a June morning, feasting in a bed of catmint for more than 15 minutes. Photo by Mark Silverstein