Subject: Odd markings and body shape…
Location: Northwestern Montana
July 28, 2017 3:29 pm
Hello from Montana! I’ve seen these a few times, but rarely had I seen one sit still long enough to take a photo. Fairly large, the wings and body shape are particularly interesting… but what exactly is it? I apologize for the photo not being a tad more clear, I did zoom in after taking the photo, I didn’t want to get too close!
Signature: ~~Margaret
Dear Margaret,
This is one of the wasp-mimic Clearwing Moths in the family Sesiidae, and we quickly identified it as a Cottonwood Crown Borer, Sessia tibialis, on iNaturalist. American Hornet Moth is another common name according to BugGuide where it states that the range is: “Nova Scotia and New England, west to Vancouver, British Columbia, Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, west to the Pacific Coast.”