It seems a correction is in order. I just learned the hummingbird-moth is a tough living being, capable of surviving the winter as an adult, in a semi-hibernation state. It's also migrant reaching quite high in the mountains. So it doesn't look anymore to me as a "naturalized" species. Thanks for all pointers thus far.
Servus, Alin I wrote: AF> What seems remarkable to me is that I took this picture at 1400 m AF> altitude (4600 feet), where winters used to be long and harsh until AF> no further than 10 years ago. The fact that this is the third summer AF> that I constantly see the moth in the same location only, suggests AF> that the species has naturalized and what I observe now are the AF> descendants that manage to survive the winter in their cocoons. AF> As the species prefers the warmer regions, it might be another AF> indication of a warming climate.
