A BEWDLEY woman spotted a previously-extinct species of moth on a disused railway track in the Wyre Forest.

Moth enthusiasts Mary Singleton, from Bewdley, and Sue Wright, from Pedmore, reported the Clifden Nonpareil - described by the Butterfly Conservation as the "Holy Grail of moths" - last Sunday.

There have been numerous recent sightings of the species, which became extinct in the UK in the 1960s, in the last year, but this is the most northerly record to date.

The Clifden Nonpareil, whose name means "beyond compare", is one of the largest and most spectacular moths native to our shores.

Its wingspan can reach almost 12cm and it is recognisable by a bright blue stripe across its black hindwings.

Kidderminster Shuttle:

The Wyre Forest is one of the best recorded sites for moths in all of the UK with records going back to Victorian times, and National Moth Night will be celebrated at Wells Cottage, near Stourport, at 7pm this Friday.

Richard Fox, associate director of recording and research at the Butterfly Conservation, said: “Moth Night is a wonderful opportunity to get face-to-face with the UK’s magnificent moths including, if you are really lucky, the Clifden Nonpareil, and to contribute important data.

“Moth Night is running from 26 to 28 September this year and we really want to hear from anyone who has seen a Clifden Nonpareil, Convolvulus Hawk-moth or encountered any exciting migrant moths or even recorded some of the spectacular local species that fly on autumn nights.

“The Clifden Nonpareil is a fantastic addition to our wildlife, and it is great to know that it is resident again in the UK, after an absence of 40 years or so.

"Its caterpillars feed unnoticed up in the canopies of Aspen and poplar trees, so the adult moths are the best indication of how widely-established this species now is.

“This year, the Clifden Nonpareil is turning up all over southern Britain, in the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales, in Ceredigion and Monmouthshire, as well as in south coast counties.

"There’s never been a better chance of a thrilling encounter with this impressive insect.”