Subject: Hummingbird moth? Oregon
Location: Grizzly Mountain, Ashland OR
July 12, 2017 6:44 pm
Dear Bugman,
I photographed this insect on Grizzly Mountain near Ashland, Southern Oregon, on July 3rd. Is it a hummingbird moth? If so, what species? I would be very grateful for an ID. I did not get any other angles on the insect, it moved so fast.
Signature: Emma
Dear Emma,
This is not a Hummingbird Moth. This is a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae, and your image of it nectaring while hovering is awesome. Most images of Bee Flies on our site picture them at rest. Though we are able to provide a family classification, we cannot see either the markings on the body or the wings, so we cannot provide you with a species identification.
Dear Daniel,
Thank you very much – I did not expect such a quick response! If it’s a Bee Fly, that explains why I could not find a picture of it online, since I was looking at hummingbird moths. D’oh.
There were thousands of them up on the mountain, as well as many kinds of actual bees, hover flies, other flies, butterflies and moths.
Thanks again
Emma