A Hummingbird Hawk Moth, spotted in a garden at the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in Yichang.

It is one of just a few species of hawk moth that are able to hover in midair, as well as move swiftly from side to side whilst hovering, a quality known as swing-hovering (fig.).

To suck up large amounts of nectar needed to support its rather large-sized body, Hummingbird Hawk Moths are armed with an elongated, retractable roll-up tongue. This feature is described in the first part of its Latin-scientific name, i.e. Macroglossum, which literally means ‘big tongue. When hovering, Hummingbird Hawk Moths are reminiscent of hummingbirds.