The moth's abdomen has yellow and black segments much like those of the bumblebee, for whom it might be mistaken due to its color and flight pattern similarities.

The moth's wings lack the large amount of scales found in most other lepidopterans, particularly in the centralized regions, making them appear clear.

The moth is found from the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, southern Ontario, eastern Manitoba, and in western Quebec in Canada.

The larvae feed on plants including dogbane (Apocynum), Lonicera, Viburnum, Amsonia, Triosteum, Diervilla,[2] and Symphoricarpos.

In certain parts of Appalachia, including West Virginia, Hemaris diffinis is known as "hummingbird moth" or "flying lobster".