West TN. Insect Looks Like A Mix Between A Carpenter Bee And A Hummingbird! Never Seems To Land On Flowers Long Black Tentacles. Does Anyone Know What It Could Be? Body Is Too Long For Common Black And Yellow Bee.

Hi, all--, I'm in pennsylvania and we went for a walk in the woods and there were these wild monarda (also called oswego tea) with purplish flowers and we saw about five of these crittters.  We argued about whether it was a hummingbird or some kind of insect.  It was very colorful, though, more colorful than the ones you describe but everything else sounded the same.  I took some pictures of it with my cell phone camera--they were not great pics but some were okay.  Anyway, your comments are interesting so I'm going to check out clearwing hummingbird etc...  So I guess it's in the insect world?

Hi! I'm in Woodbridge Va. I have a butterfly bush and I also have these cross between a black and yellow bee and the humming bird. It never stops, I thought it was a humming bird the more I look at it, it's a cross between the two. Searching for the name ... Help please....Cathy from Va.