This is the season of the Sphinx or Hawk Moth, often mistaken for a hummingbird. It hovers over flowers, extending a very long proboscis to draw nectar from the plant. Its behavior is very bird-like. There are six species of sphinx moths in Minnesota: Northern Pine, Twin-spotted, Small-eyed, Ello, Virginia Creeper, and White-lined. The latter is the one I've seen and photographed here. This moth is one of four nectar feeders to have evolved the ability to hover. The others are hummingbirds, certain bat species, and hoverflies.
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