Rare Moth discovered in Telford

The moth, known as Six-belted Clearwing, is linked to a plant called Bird’s-foot Trefoil, on which it lays its eggs. This is a common plant on many of Telford’s network of former brownfield sites, some of which like Rough Park are local nature reserves. The moth is tiny and easily overlooked, so there is hope that it will be found elsewhere. Already two further sites have been identified and conservationists hope for more. The moth was discovered by using pheromone lures, which mimic the scent given off by females to attract males. This is a relatively new technique that has already helped to produce many more records of this rare group of insects.

The discovery of this moth resulted from a visit by the newly formed Telford & Wrekin Butterfly and Moth Recording Group, which is a joint initiative between Telford and Wrekin Council and the West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society (WM-BAMS) and supported by Fujitsu. The Putting Telford’s Butterflies and Moths on the Map project is aimed at improving recording of these important insects in the area. Telford, currently very under-recorded, is known to hold important populations of regionally important butterflies and moths such as Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper and Six-spot Burnet.

Dr Jenny Joy, Spokesperson for WM-BAMS, is co-ordinating the recording project and said: 'We were really delighted to discover Six-belted Clearwing, which is a first for Telford and shows just how important our local nature reserves are. Both nationally and regionally, this is a rare moth and there are very few records for Shropshire. Bird’s-foot Trefoil is an important caterpillar foodplant for a number of other butterflies and moths and, if we can encourage the spread of this plant through careful management, this will bring real benefits for biodiversity.'

Adrian Corney from Telford and Wrekin Council said: 'This is great news and it is fantastic to learn that such a rare and fragile species has responded so well to our management efforts. Our staff play an important role in site management and have helped to get this project off the ground. I know they will be pleased to hear of the successful outcome as well. By continuing to mow and collect, and not cutting all the same areas each year, we hope to encourage the spread of Bird’s-food Trefoil and other wildflowers to benefit all our pollinating insects.'

The Telford and Wrekin Butterfly and Moth Recording Group are planning further visits to some of Telford’s green spaces over the course of the next few weeks. To take part, contact parks.greenspaces@telford.gov.uk