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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by Edith3
Published on Project Noah
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36.0368, -78.9562

Field Notes

Description:

Could this be a hummingbird moth? I've never seen one with a red abdomen. I'm not sure what this is. It was strange to watch. The back legs seemed to paddle. That's what caught my attention. The wings moved so fast I barely saw them.

Habitat:

I'm in Durham, NC. It was in a friend's pollinator garden.

Species ID Suggestions

Squash vine borer moth

Melittia cucurbitae

Reference Link
Ornithoptera80
5

Comments (5)
Maria dB
Welcome to Project Noah, Edith! There are hummingbird moths in Durham and hopefully you'll see one one day. In the meantime, you got a nice first spotting on PN.
AshleyT
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
SukanyaDatta
Hello Edith 3, Welcome to Project Noah. You have a lovely spotting. Since you agree with the suggestions on ID, you can use the Edit this Spotting Option to fill in the boxes and complete the spotting. Enjoy the site. Keep posting. Have fun. See you around. Welcome, again.
Edith3
Without question, that's it! Thanks Ornithoptera80 and MichaelS! I'll definitely be sending more pic.s. Photographing insects and flowers is my hobby. I know very little about either. Time to learn!
Michael
Hi Edith3, Yes, this appears to be a squash vine borer moth. These are great photos! Welcome to Project Noah!
Photographed
PublishedJune 28, 2020

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