He's not what he looks like
Who among us has not seen a strange flying creature and at the sight of it got a fit of euphoria shouting a hummingbird !, hummingbird, hummingbird! I have encountered such a situation many times, during my travels in all countries of southern Europe and, of course, also in Poland. I was also convinced that it was some southern European species of hummingbird.
An insect as the smallest bird in the world
None of these things, this beautiful double of the smallest bird is just a moth. Its name is Hummingbird hawk-moth, but due to its different coloration, it has different names in other countries. Outside Europe, it also occurs in North Africa and Asia.
Why do we confuse it with a hummingbird?
Its wingspan is up to 5 cm, it is stocky and small. In addition, just like a hummingbird, it eats food while hanging by vigorously twirling its eights with its wings. It is difficult to get a clear picture of this moth as it strikes its wings 80 times per second. It is extremely agile and fast, it can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h, and in a few minutes it can drink nectar from 100 flowers.
The method of food intake is also identical to that of a hummingbird. Another element that makes him look like a bird is his abdomen. On its sides there are black spots, deceptively reminiscent of the wheelhouse of a bird's tail.
Beautiful, it hovers in the air
Hummingbird hawk-moth rarely sits on a flower, or does not enter it like popular, other pollinating insects. He hovers over the flower as if he is watching it, and watches for a while, with perfect eyesight. At the same time, his trumpet is coiled into a spiral.
When it decides that the object is worthy of attention and is rich in food, it unfolds its beauty and sucks nectar from the flower. It's a bit like refueling airplanes in flight.
How to lure a hummingbird moth into our garden?
If we want this beautiful insect to appear in our garden, we must meet certain conditions. The Hummingbird hawk-moth is quite picky and is interested only in plants that offer a lot of nectar, and the flowers have long and narrow calyxes.
Therefore, they love geraniums, sage, lavender, petunia, jasmine, honeysuckle - which are fed by caterpillars of the Hummingbird hawk-moth.
