clearwing

[ kleer-wing ]

noun

1. a moth having wings wings mostly devoid of scales and transparent, especially any of the family Aegeriidae, many species of which are injurious to plants.

clearwing

/ ˈklɪəˌwɪŋ /

noun

1. any moth of the family Sesiidae (or Aegeriidae ), characterized by the absence of scales from the greater part of the wings. They are day-flying and some, such as the hornet clearwing ( Sesia apiformis ), resemble wasps and other hymenopterans

Word History and Origins

Origin of clearwing¹

First recorded in 1865–70; clear + wing

Example Sentences

Two clearwing moths appear to have hitched a ride when they were larvae, travelling 4,500 miles from a tropical jungle in Guyana, South America, before ending up in Port Talbot.

From BBC

When I first saw them, I knew they were clearwings and assumed it was a UK species like the six-banded clearwing.

From BBC

He said the chances of two clearwing moths from tropical jungles of South America "successfully emerging in south Wales, over three months after they arrived, in cold Welsh winter, and being preserved in good condition, is extraordinary".

From BBC

It had been a dry summer, but the lavender Phenomenal was still thriving despite the heat, and so was the garden phlox, a favorite of the hummingbird clearwing moth.

From Washington Post

In England, Scotland and Wales it's a criminal offence to kill or be in possession of some rare species of butterfly, including the Barberry carpet, the fiery clearwing and the Reddish buff.

From BBC