Home School Moment...."Mommy Come See This Creature"

Mommy What is That Creature??????


It was dusk outside and I was relaxing as my boys were outside watering a few trees before bed. All of a sudden I heard, "Mommy, come quick!!" "You have to see this creature outside it is a mixture between a bird, a moth, and a bee!"

I jumped up to go see what this new found creature was that they spotted. I was amazed at what I saw! It was starting to get dark outside so it was very hard to see clearly. But what I saw looked like many miniature hummingbirds eating the nectar out of our flowers.

These creatures got so close to us showing absolutely no fear and when they flew by you their wings hummed like a hummingbirds wings do. I was convinced that they were baby hummingbirds, but why so many? Why were they out at dusk and why were they not fearful of us? My boys ran in to get our butterfly nets and by the time they came back out the creatures were already done eating and left. They sure don't stick around very long!

Since we had so many questions we decided to make it a home school moment and we went inside as I Googled, "what insects look like a baby hummingbird." What I found out is the following:

The Hummingbird Moth hovers next to flowers to sip the nectar. Their wings practically vibrate they are moving so fast. They look just like a hummingbird hovering while sipping nectar from the flowers. These are such beautiful moths. These moths almost seem more bird-like than they do an insect. They are truly amazing!

Look at the pictures, I posted above, these moths look and act just like the hummingbird! It is hard to see,from these pictures, just how much these moths resemble the hummingbird. Seeing them up close is so much better!! This was a fun learning moment. We learned something new and that is what homeschooling for us is about! Learning together through everyday life and researching together to find answers to the things we don't know.

How my son described this moth is exactly how I found the info on internet to describe it also! Do a Google search with your children and see if you can learn more about this amazing creature. There is more to read on. There are three different types of this moth. One is called the bumble bee Clearwing Moth.

These moths are seen between the months of June-August. So at dusk go outside with your children and sit in an area where you have plenty of flowers and wait to see if you spot any of these spectacular moths yourself! Truly a fun homeschooling moment for everyone! Beware though that my boys ran in to get our butterfly nets so we could catch one of these little guys. We just wanted a close up look then we were going to let it go. They were back within moments with their nets but the creatures were already done eating and had left. They sure don't stick around very long!

Here is a little more information I found from the internet on these amazing creatures:

This is a Hummingbird Clearwing. At first we were just like you - thoroughly convinced this was a baby female ruby-throated hummingbird, but we just couldn't explain away those antennae! He mimics the hummingbird perfectly; wings just a blur, zipping here and there. He appears from June through August; feeding at our flowers.They are oblivious to people, allowing us within inches of them; but they refuse to pose for the camera very long.

Hummingbirds do not have striped backs. They do not usually appear to be brown. They will not let you approach them to get a closer look. If you believe you saw a brown, striped hummingbird, you probably saw the perfect hummingbird look-a-like. Hummingbird moths have disappointed many people who believed that they were seeing their first hummingbird.

Although you may have to wait longer to see a hummingbird, hummingbird moths are very interesting in their own right. Unlike most moths, they will fly during daylight. You can see many of them at any time of day but evening is the most productive time to watch for hummingbird moths.

There are quite a few different species of these beautiful moths and they visit flowers for nectar at dusk or twilight as you've noted. Most sphinx moths are active in low light but a few can be seen in daylight. Sphinx moths are members of the family Sphingidae and you can Google this group to see the various members that might be in your area.

Dearest Lord, thank you for moments like this when I get to learn along side my children! Thank you for giving us such interesting things to enjoy in your creation at the same time! This truly amazing moth was so enjoyable to watch! Thank you for that moment! In Jesus name I pray, Amen!