Convolvulus Hawkmoth Agrius convolvuli

This is a true long-distance athlete of the insect world. A powerful migrant, it regularly crosses oceans and continents, turning up in Iceland, the Canary Islands, and New Zealand far from any breeding population. But the most jaw-dropping feature is the tongue: its proboscis can reach up to 14 centimeters — longer than the moth's own body — allowing it to hover in front of deep-tubed flowers and feed without landing, like a six-legged hummingbird.

In New Zealand, where it's known as the kumara moth, it's a familiar visitor to sweet potato gardens and a well-loved cultural reference in Māori tradition. At rest this moth is a masterpiece of camouflage; in flight the pink-and-black banding of the abdomen flashes dramatically into view.