Welsh Clearwing in Sherwood Forest

In mid June while visiting my mum in Nottingham I took the opportunity to catch up with a rare and enigmatic moth - the Welsh Clearwing. Clearwings are a fascinating group. They are day-flying wasp mimics that have historically been very difficult to see and there are 15 species extant in the UK. However, in recent years, the development of pheromone lures that attract the male moths have made them much easier to see and has shown some species to be more widespread than thought. The Welsh Clearwing has its' heartland in Wales and Scotland but has recently been found in England in Staffs and Notts and may yet be undiscovered elsewhere. I picked a bright sunny morning and found a mature birch exposed to sunlight at the edge of the Forest and deployed the lure. Within minutes the first male appeared soon to be joined by 4 more. More than happy, I took the lure down and took a few snaps of these rare and attractive moths.