Hummingbird clearwing moth

Description:

This is, without a doubt, the strangest moth I've encountered. Very difficult to photograph. Confused with a small hummingbird because of its fast flying nectar-feeding. Furthermore, you can tell apart H. thysbe from a lookalike species H. gracilis by thysbe's yellowish legs. What makes the third photo in the series special is that there are actually three arthropod species in it, if you look carefully. They're all pollinating the milkweed.

Habitat:

Found in a small clearing in temperate forest.

Notes:

Seen in AK and the Northwest Territories south through BC to Oregon; east through the Great Plains and the Great Lakes area to ME and Newfoundland; south to FL and TX.