Rare narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth spotted at new sites

A rare moth has been spotted in the Brecon Beacons National Park for the first time in 100 years.

The narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth has been found at four new sites across Wales in 2019, including Cwm Cadlan National Nature Reserve, Brecon.

The insect looks like a bumblebee, with its black and yellow abdomen and transparent wings with dark veins.

The new locations are in addition to the 12 sites the moth has previously been found at in Wales.

The other new places the moth has been seen, include Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, and Pembrey Forest and Pontyberem, in Carmarthenshire.

George Tordoff, senior conservation officer for Butterfly Conservation Wales, said the "resurgence" was due to the warm weather in summer 2018 causing a good breeding season, followed by a good spring.

"This moth was once widely recorded in the UK, but has undergone a substantial decline over recent decades, so it's heartening to see it having such a good year in Wales," he said.