The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

To my great surprise, I thought I had just seen a hummingbird, but no, it's a flying insect. The species is named for its similarity to hummingbirds, as they feed on the nectar of tube-shaped flowers using their long proboscis while hovering in the air; this resemblance is an example of convergent evolution. exposure date: 1/800 sec Even at this shutter speed of 1/800 sec, the wings beat so fast that motion blur is inevitable. 1/2000 sec would have been better, but at the expense of depth of field; field macro photography is always a question of compromise.