The #SciArtSeptember prompt is bird-like, so I made this #linocut hummingbird clearwing moth (Hermaris thysbe) seeking pollen from cherry blossoms! The olive-headed burgundy moth has transparent wings (though colour can be variable). It beats its wings rapidly to hover above flowers, like a hummingbird, meaning it is often confused with a hummingbird or bee.
🧵1/n
#printmaking #moth #sciart #cherryBlossom #hummingbirdClearwing #hawkmoth #MastoArt
It has a 5 cm wingspan. Its bulky abdomen has lead to its adorable nickname "the flying shrimp." The caterpillar likes to feed on cherry amongst other things and as a moth, it feeds on a wide range of flowers, with a preference for pink and purple, so I chose to illustrate it with cherry blossoms.
Its range covers most of North America. It is a migratory species which is common here in Ontario, and in the eastern US.
🧵2/3
Its scientific name Hermaris thysbe is likely a reference to Thisbe, half of a pair of ill-fated lovers in Ovid's Metamorphoses and her blood-stained scarf. It's a reference to the moth's reddish-brown colour.
https://minouette.etsy.com/listing/1565041339
🧵3/3
Ele Willoughby, PhD