Broad-bordered bee hawkmoth

The broad-bordered bee hawkmoth (Hemaris fuciformis) is a member of the Sphingidae family within the Lepidoptera order. This moth is well-known for its mimicry; its clear wings and hairy body make it resemble a bumblebee. While adults are harmless nectar-feeders, the larvae are specialists that feed on specific foliage, occasionally causing damage to ornamental and edible honeysuckle crops.

The biology of the species is linked to its host plants, primarily honeysuckle (Lonicera) and snowberry. Adult females lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves. Upon hatching, the larvae go through several instars, feeding voraciously on the foliage. The pupal stage typically takes place underground or within the leaf litter, where the insect remains dormant through the winter months.

Larval feeding causes visible damage to the plant. Initially, the caterpillars create small irregular holes in the leaf blades. As they mature, their consumption rate increases significantly, often resulting in severe skeletonization of the leaves. This loss of foliage reduces the plant's ability to produce energy, which negatively impacts flower bud formation for the following year.

While the broad-bordered bee hawkmoth is rarely a catastrophic pest in established gardens, high population densities in nurseries can lead to significant aesthetic and physiological harm. The loss of leaf area stresses the plant, making it more susceptible to environmental factors or other opportunistic pathogens that thrive on weakened shrubs.

Effective management strategies should focus on integrated pest control to maintain garden health. Recommended actions include:

• Visual inspections of the leaves during late spring and summer to identify early larval presence.
• Hand-picking larvae when populations are low, which is often sufficient for home gardens.
• Soil cultivation around the base of the shrubs in late autumn to expose and destroy overwintering pupae.
• Application of targeted biological insecticides like Bacillus thuringiensis if infestations become widespread and uncontrollable by manual methods.