Rare moth discovery highlights importance of Telford’s green spaces
Conservationists are celebrating the discovery of a rare moth species at Rough Park Local Nature Reserve, a first-ever record for Telford.
The Six-belted Clearwing moth, a nationally scarce species, was recorded during a recent survey and is closely associated with Bird’s-foot trefoil, a common wildflower found across many of Telford’s former brownfield sites. These habitats, including Rough Park, have been carefully managed and protected as part of the Borough’s network of Local Nature Reserves.
Despite its striking name, the Six-belted Clearwing is small and easily overlooked. Encouragingly, two further sites in Telford have already been identified where the species may also be present, raising hopes that more populations will be discovered.
The moth was detected using specialist pheromone lures, which replicate the scent released by female moths to attract males, a relatively new and effective technique helping to improve records of these elusive insects.
The find follows a visit by the newly established Telford & Wrekin Butterfly and Moth Recording Group, a partnership initiative between Telford & Wrekin Council, the West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society (WM-BAMS) and the Telford Green Spaces Partnership, supported by Fujitsu. The project, Putting Telford’s Butterflies and Moths on the Map, aims to improve understanding and recording of these important pollinators across the Borough.
Telford is currently under-recorded but is known to support important populations of species of butterflies and moths such as Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper and Six-spot Burnet moth.
Councillor Carolyn Healy, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Sustainability at Telford & Wrekin Council, said:
“This is fantastic news and highlights the success of our approach to managing Telford’s green spaces for nature. Our teams, contractors and volunteers work incredibly hard to look after these sites, using techniques such as varied mowing regimes to encourage wildflowers like Bird’s-foot trefoil to thrive. This discovery shows how these efforts are helping to support rare and important species right here in Telford.”
Dr Jenny Joy, spokesperson for WM-BAMS and coordinator of the project, said:
“We were delighted to discover the Six-belted Clearwing, which is a first for Telford and demonstrates just how important our local nature reserves are. Both nationally and regionally this is a rare species, with very few records in Shropshire. Bird’s-foot trefoil is an important foodplant for a number of butterflies and moths, and with careful management we can encourage its spread, bringing real benefits for biodiversity.”
The Telford & Wrekin Butterfly and Moth Recording Group will be hosting further visits to local green spaces over the coming weeks. Anyone interested in taking part can email parks.greenspaces@telford.gov.uk for more information.
Further details about the Telford Green Spaces Partnership can be found here.