The Elephant Hawkmoth is part of the hawkmoth family, or sphinx moth family - a group of moths that has a cool name because they look like tiny fighter jets. The fastest hawkmoths can clock in at 33 mph, which is pretty good for a creature the size of your thumb. Why is elephant hawkmoth named after an elephant, when it more closely resembles a flying grapefruit? Supposedly, the caterpillar looks like an elephant's trunk when at rest.