Wingspan is commonly about 18–26 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Synanthedon myopaeformis
A wasp-mimicking moth whose caterpillar remains hidden for years in the living tissue beneath apple bark.
About this species
Red-belted Clearwing
Synanthedon myopaeformis(Borkhausen, 1789)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Synanthedon myopaeformis is a clearwing moth associated especially with apple trees. Adults resemble small wasps, while larvae tunnel unseen in the cambial region beneath bark and can weaken orchard trees.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Lepidoptera · Sesiidae · Synanthedon
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
Europe, North Africa and western Asia, with introduced populations in North AmericaBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Europe, North Africa and western Asia, with introduced populations in North America
Orchards, gardens and woodland containing apple, hawthorn and related trees.
Adults fly by day in summer and respond strongly to sex pheromones.
Larvae feed beneath bark in living tree tissue; adults take nectar.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
Transparent wings, a narrow body and a red abdominal belt transform this moth into a convincing visual and behavioural imitation of a wasp.
The caterpillar may remain concealed for one or two years between bark and wood, feeding in the cambium where external damage can be easy to miss.
Synthetic sex pheromones can intercept males in monitoring traps and can saturate orchards to disrupt mating before the next generation is laid.