We have a patch of red clover in our yard that is irresistible to nectar loving creatures of all kinds. We observe hummingbirds, honey bees, bumble bees and, today, this unusual hummingbird moth. Dan kept his eye on it while I ran for the camera.
According to this U.S. Forest Service site, we are on the western edge of the distribution. I wonder why the states all around us have higher populations. This is a better picture borrowed from the Forest Service site.
Another interesting fact about the moth:
Like most moths they have a very long tongue which they carry rolled under their chins and that they use to reach the nectar of long-necked flowers. Such nectar is inaccessible to many other flower visitors, so it seems that these flowers prefer long tongued pollinators and try to keep the others away.
It is hard to tell by my picture, but the Forest Service picture shows how the tail flares and the wings become almost invisible as they hover.