Like many people, at first glance I often confuse a unique but wide-ranging moth with a hummingbird. Ornamental flowers are an irresistible source of nectar for both winged creatures and both buzz and hover as they feed. But the similarities might end there.
The white-lined sphinx is in the class of animals separate from birds known as insects, and in an order with butterflies and moths called lepidoptera. But because of its unique acrobatics it's known familiarly as the hummingbird moth.
Another striking difference between the sphinx and the hummingbird is that this particular species seems to readily tolerate a photographer while it dines on the sweet bounty of a Prescott, Arizona flower garden.
The white-lined sphinx is in the class of animals separate from birds known as insects, and in an order with butterflies and moths called lepidoptera. But because of its unique acrobatics it's known familiarly as the hummingbird moth.
Another striking difference between the sphinx and the hummingbird is that this particular species seems to readily tolerate a photographer while it dines on the sweet bounty of a Prescott, Arizona flower garden.
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