Snowberry Clearwing

Ok, so that is a cool name, even if it is more fitting for a winter fairy than a hummingbird moth. The good folks on iNaturalist provided the ID. I found it before the wings filled out.

Snowberry Clearwing moth resting on a stick before I helped it perch high up in the honeysuckle

The Snowberry Clearwing (yup, going to use the full name every time, ‘cause wow), pupates in leaf litter and one of the host plants for the caterpillar is honeysuckle, so it makes sense that they find our front arbor a good home since it is full of several varieties of honeysuckle and mulched with leaf litter. I have to come clean, I wasn’t the first to spot it. Maybe this blurry photo will give you a clue who did.

Blurry photo of cat paws pulling down a honeysuckle vine while the newly emerged Snowberry Clearwing tries to valiantly escape

I was able to rescue Snowberry Clearwing and help it to perch out of the cat’s reach, much to Sophie’s dismay. I saw the moth again, or maybe another moth but I would like to think it was the rescued Snowberry Clearwing, on the Abelia bushes across the walk.

Snowberry Clearwing

Fair travels to you, Snowberry Clearwing, may the wind be always at your back.