David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
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Moths 32 – Hummingbird Hawk Moths
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH Macroglossum stellatarum
·
Hummingbird Hawk Moths Macroglossum stellatarum (Sphingidae, Macroglossinae) have been
aptly named as they feed whilst hovering close to tubular flowers, often
cultivated, inserting their long probosces in search
of nectar. They move frequently and quickly from flower to flower, rarely
settling or hovering in the same position for long, so trying to photograph
them can be frustrating – and it provides good exercise too! Their wingbeats
are so rapid that it is impossible to freeze their movement without using very
high shutter-speeds and they therefore appear to be blurred in most in flight photographs.
Unlike Broad-bordered Bee Hawk Moths Hemaris fuciformis, also often
to be seen feeding at the same flowers, they do not make any contact with their
front feet. They are active both during the day and at dusk, sometimes
remaining on the wing until after dark, and they will be familiar to many
spending their holidays in continental Europe. These moths are powerful
migrants, reaching the UK annually in variable numbers and arriving mainly
during the summer months. One once turned up in the photographer’s front garden
in London although it eluded the camera. The females will then lay their eggs
(see final photograph of one that the author observed being laid in Surrey) and
produce a new generation. Some adults
may succeed in hibernating, a recent development and almost certainly one that
is associated with global warming. The photographs were taken in the UK,
France, and Italy.
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