52.005 BF376

Welsh Clearwing Synanthedon scoliaeformis

(Borkhausen, 1789)

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Wingspan c. 30-36 mm.

A very local species in Britain, generally found only in certain parts of Wales and Ireland, although recently it has been rediscovered in quite good numbers at a location in Staffordshire.

Females show an orange tail, whereas the male's is a darker brown. Both sexes show two narrow yellow rings on the abdomen.

The larvae bore into mature birch (Betula) trees, feeding on the bark within. Exit holes can occasionally be found where the moths have emerged, and the moths themselves can sometimes be located nearby on a birch tree.

The flight season is June and July, and the day-flying adults, like several other clearwing species, can be attracted by the use of pheromones.