We had a very mysterious guest yesterday here. His rather foreign-sounding name, Hyles Lineata, made us wonder where he came from and how far he had traveled to get here.
He didn't have a riddle for us, but he was gracious enough to hop into my hand so that I could get a better look at him. That's when we saw his true colors.
You can see how large this White-Lined Sphinx Moth is compared to my hand. The colors and markings on his wings are just gorgeous. His head and body were covered in short hairs, giving him the appearance of being furry. I tucked him away safely in our flower garden after taking this picture.
While I didn't see any others, these moths do tend to congregate in groups. I suspect he was resting up to drink some nectar from my roses, phlox or the myriad of dandelions in the yard before he continued on his travels.
While we didn't get to see him drink, apparently they hover over flowers like a hummingbird does and suck out the flower nectar with their long proboscis.
What a neat visitor! Did you have anything interesting or unexpected happen today?
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