Sesiidae

52.001 Raspberry Clearwing Pennisetia hylaeiformis (Laspeyres, 1801)

Adventive / Naturalised

Similar species:

Forewing: 22 to 32mm

Habitats: Large areas of Raspberry and Bramble on downland and in fens, fruit farms and gardens.

Habits: The moth is diurnal and the male is attracted to pheromone lures. It was first discovered in a garden in Cambridgeshire in 2007.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on both wild and cultivated Raspberry and possibly Bramble. It overwinters twice feeding in the rootstock and lower stem, often within a gall formed at the base of a stem. In the third summer it pupates a bit higher up the stem just below a prepared exit hole which remains covered with a layer of stem bark.