I was walking along the edge of Betsy's garden when I saw an interesting-looking wasp. Interesting enough to warrant a closer look. Something made me think that it may not be a wasp, but a moth, and upon that closer look, I noticed the proboscis.
This is a new species for me, and therefore, the yard. It's also the first of the family Sesiidae (Clearwing Moths) for the site.
M. cucurbitae is a hornet mimic in several ways - appearance, feeding movement, and even flight. When it flew away, had I not known better, I'd have sworn it was a hornet or wasp. Looking like a stinging hornet has to be an advantage for a harmless day flying moth.
