Bird or insect????

[Bugsinrugs]

What is this? Hovers like a Hummingbird but seems to have four wings. I’m stumped.

[Bugsinrugs]

[pavulon]

White-lined sphinx

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyles_lineata

[ckcarr]

Common name Hummingbird Moth.

A favorite food of all the bats I have surrounding my house. I have to sweep up their wings every morning. Hummingbird Moths arrive, sample the flowers, the little bats then arrive and sample the moths...

[GH85Carrera]

Also called Hawk moths.


https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/hawk_moths.shtml

[Bugsinrugs]

Thanks for the information. Lots of bats here so I guess he won’t last long.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

Thanks for the information. Lots of bats here so I guess he won’t last long.

If the moths are diurnal (seems so since your pics appear to be daytime) then the moths and bats probably won't cross paths.

I think those are pretty big too, and many bats are quite small, but where there's a will, there's a way.

[HobieMarty]

Ya just learn about the neatest things here!!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[ckcarr]

Go into a nice flower garden at night. The hummingbird moths are everywhere this time of year, like my entryway full of yellow columbines. They love that stuff.


Then look to the ceiling of my entryway, and notice the bats waiting.



Finally go out in the morning and clean all those nice wings up, that I once thought were leaves...

We have the smallest bats in the country here, plus larger ones. They don't care...
And I know my bat cafeteria.

Originally Posted by masraum

If the moths are diurnal (seems so since your pics appear to be daytime) then the moths and bats probably won't cross paths.

I think those are pretty big too, and many bats are quite small, but where there's a will, there's a way.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

Go into a nice flower garden at night. The hummingbird moths are everywhere this time of year, like my entryway full of yellow columbines. They love that stuff.


Then look to the ceiling of my entryway, and notice the bats waiting.



Finally go out in the morning and clean all those nice wings up, that I once thought were leaves...

We have the smallest bats in the country here, plus larger ones. They don't care...
And I know my bat cafeteria.

Very cool! Any issue with guano, or is the couple that you seem to have a small enough amount to be able to easily keep clean?

[ckcarr]

Originally Posted by masraum

Very cool! Any issue with guano, or is the couple that you seem to have a small enough amount to be able to easily keep clean?

Yes. Some droppings.
But guano is fertilizer, so it gets swept into the flowerbeds. At first I thought I had a mouse problem, wasted some money on mouse traps, but then looked up one night and they were looking at me. I can't leave that door open at night.

The bats are a pain, but there's not much I can do, maybe a bat house somewhere, doubt that would help. Some species are federally protected, but all bats are protected in Utah. And they'll go away in September or early October and migrate south. It's not like there's hundreds, but it's one or two at a time. They aren't swarmer's in Utah like back east. More little soloists. They think that entryway is a cave or something, so they come in and rest. They'll also dip into my pool for drinks at night.

[PorscheGAL]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

.

What a beautiful entryway! Peonies are some of my favorites. Unfortunately, it is too hot here to grow well.

[Bugsinrugs]

The bats here constantly set off my porch and garage motion lights. One got into the house recently. Left doors and windows open and he (she) found its way out. Creepy little guys.

[911 Rod]

It doesn't get much cooler that a hummingbird moth.