Unidentified Flying Object

Can you help us identify this unique visitor? It showed up to drink nectar from the flowers of our butterfly bush.

—Michael and Diane Husted, Burton, Michigan

George: You've spotted a clear-winged sphinx moth. This interesting insect is sometimes called a hummingbird moth because it closely resembles those "flying jewels". Not only is the sphinx moth about the same size as a hummingbird, but it darts from flower to flower to sip nectar and beats its wings so rapidly that they look blurred. And unlike most moths, the sphinx is active during the day, just like hummingbirds.