Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris tityus
The Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris tityus) is a day-flying hawk-moth of exceptional charm, its transparent wings and bumblebee-like flight making it one of the most remarkable insects in the British fauna. Its larvae feed on Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), tying it to unimproved, damp grassland and fen habitats. Nationally scarce and declining, it is associated in Suffolk with the Waveney Valley fens and damp heathland, where Devil’s-bit Scabious is present in good quantity. Flying in May and June, it visits flowers in sunshine and is most likely to be seen at fen and damp heathland sites with abundant foodplant. Maintaining appropriate fen and wet heathland management is central to its conservation. Image: © Anne Sorbes, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, UK Moths, Suffolk Moths
Suffolk’s Priority Moth Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
