Currant Clearwing vs Hebrew Character

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Currant Clearwing Hebrew Character
Scientific Name Synanthedon tipuliformis Orthosia gothica
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sesiidae Noctuidae
Size 17-22 mm wingspan 30-37 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Omnivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia (introduced worldwide) Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Currant Clearwing

A small wasp-mimicking moth with transparent wings and a black body banded with yellow. Its larvae bore into the stems of currant and gooseberry bushes.

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Did You Know?

Its wasp mimicry is so convincing that gardeners who encounter it rarely realise they are looking at a moth.

Hebrew Character

A spring-flying moth with a distinctive black C-shaped marking on each forewing that resembles a Hebrew letter. It is one of the first moths to appear after winter.

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Did You Know?

It is often the most abundant moth at sugar and light traps in March and April across Europe.