Attracting the BumbleBee Moth to the Garden

The Bumble Bee moth (Hemaris diffinis) is a unique and exciting pollinator that we are lucky enough to have here on Vancouver Island. It is a Moth species that flies during the day and uses bumble bee mimicry techniques as a defensive mechanism. Adult Hemaris can be quite variable in appearance but the species Hemaris diffinis looks strikingly similar to a bumble bee. This helps them to avoid predators like birds, allowing them to peacefully search for nectar during the daylight hours.

Just like bees they are beneficial pollinators in their ecosystems. They are the strongest & fastest flyers in the lepidoptera and depending on the species, can hover their wings at 70 beats per second. This fast rate of wing movement allows them to fly up to 19 km/hr! Some species resemble hummingbirds, hovering in front of the flower to drink its nectar with its long tongue! A tongue length that doubles the total length of the moth’s body. They have a wide variety of habitats including open meadows, streamsides, gardens, and urban areas. They have two broods from March until August and caterpillars will pupate in the leaf litter on the ground. 

If you would like to attract this powerful pollinator to your garden, having foraging plants for both the Adult and Caterpillar life stages of this insect is key. Caterpillar host plants include snowberry, viburnum, cherry, hawthorn & honeysuckle. Adult Moth foraging plants include: honeysuckle, snowberry, white flowered hawkweed, scotch thistle, lilac, bee balm and native violets. 

You can also catch a glimpse of these pollinators at night by planting evening primrose or night blooming jasmine. 

If you would like to learn more about how to attract beneficial pollinators to your garden please reach out to meadowwrenflowerfarm@gmail.com