Clearwing Moth

Transparent wings

Most moths have wings covered in scales that give them their colours and patterns. Clearwing moths have shed most of these scales during their first flight — leaving the wing membrane transparent, with only the veins and borders coloured. The result is a moth that looks nothing like a moth: with transparent wings, striped abdomen, and buzzing flight, clearwings are virtually indistinguishable from wasps and bees to most observers.

Hornet moth

The hornet moth (Sesia apiformis) is the most dramatic British clearwing — it mimics a hornet so precisely that it has the yellow-and-black striped abdomen, transparent wings, and even the waist constriction. It flies in June and July around poplar trees (its larval host) and is large enough to be startling. Despite the perfect mimicry, it is entirely harmless — a moth wearing a hornet’s costume.

Larval borers

Clearwing larvae spend 2–3 years boring into wood, roots, or stems of host plants, causing damage similar to longhorn beetle larvae. Different species specialise on different hosts: the currant clearwing (Synanthedon tipuliformis) bores into blackcurrant and gooseberry stems; the lunar hornet moth into willows; the red-belted clearwing into apple and cherry.

Pheromone trapping

Most clearwings are extremely difficult to find in the field — they fly fast in short bursts among vegetation. Synthetic female sex pheromone lures have revolutionised recording: placed in a trap or even just held near suitable habitat, they attract males reliably and have revealed many previously under-recorded species.