Hummingbird Hawk-moth – the hum of summer
By Kerry Williams: Communications Officer – Conservation, Sussex Wildlife Trust
Nature is full of confusing naming conventions, throwing many of us into temple-rubbing identification exasperation. Dark Green Fritillary butterflies are mostly orange. Bearded Tits are actually moustachioed Reedlings. And don’t get me started on Slow Worms.
The Hummingbird Hawk-moth, however, satisfyingly does what it says on the tin. The species has developed similar abilities as its avian namesakes, especially the hummingbird. It’s an example of convergent evolution, where different species evolve to have the same techniques despite not being related; think the ability to fly in both bats and birds.
Whilst resting, the Hummingbird Hawk-moth looks quite unassuming; mostly grey in colour and blending in with muted surroundings. But in flight is where the glorious hummingbird transformation happens.
The moth’s wings beat at an astonishing 80 times per second, so fast that their orange underwing colouration appears to merge with their overall form and they look brighter. Their long, curled proboscis, a straw-like mouthpart resembling a swirl of black liquorice, is unfurled and prepped for nectar-slurping, à la hummingbird beak. Large eyes help perfect their proboscis precision. The moth flits between flowers, zipping about in expert hover so quick that its wings emit an audible hum.
They can be found in a variety of habitats, including our gardens and urban green spaces; anywhere they can get that proboscis stuck into nectar-rich plants like Honeysuckle and Buddleia. The caterpillars feed on plants from the bedstraw family, so females will lay their eggs on the flowers of these plants.
Hummingbird Hawk-moths are a summer visitor to the UK, migrating from southern Europe and north Africa in variable numbers each year. They can be found any time between May and September and are most commonly spotted around the south of the UK and its coastlines – lucky Sussex.
As a day-flying moth, Hummingbird Hawk-moths give us the opportunity to see them up close in all their glory, and as hummingbirds are restricted to North and South America, for many of us this is the closest we may get to the real deal.
But with these eye-catching insects offering us our own buzzing burst of summer’s hum, that gasp-inducing tangerine flash spied on walks or through windows, those mindful minutes gifted by following their floral fastidiousness – honestly, who needs a hummingbird?