– click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
– Rare / Uncommon / Scarce 
– Day-flying
– easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.ID pointers: Yellow and black bands along the abdomen and yellow legs.
Distribution: (Last record: 4 July 2025 at Glossop ) – Nationally Scarce B.
A rare and notable species in Derbyshire and a probable resident.The larvae feed on 2 year old Oak(Quercus) stumps and where the foodplant exists and in the right conditions, it may well be a common species albeit in isolated colonies. Another wasp-mimic so probably overlooked. Easiest way to record is by the use of pheromone lures.
*** Last updated on 2 October 2025 by RP ***
Males come readily to pheromone lures. As with other related species the larvae feed internall on the wood of their preferred food plant. In this cas it is Oak (Quercus) and they prefer two year old tree stummps. Due to precise food requirements, this could be a reason for their scarce status.
Last Recorded Year: 2025
Last Recorded By – Christian Heintzen
Last Recorded General Area – Glossop
Selected Images: Anne Butler © – To VES Lure -Sandiacre – 18th August 2023/ Glossop to VES Lure 4/7/2025 – Christian Heintzen©
Image Gallery
No gallery images found for this moth.
Distribution Map for Synanthedon vespiformis
Found 15 records
↳ 3 from After 2025
↳ 9 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 3 from Before 2020
↳ 3 from After 2025
↳ 9 from 2020 - 2024
↳ 3 from Before 2020
If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.
Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.
NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Synanthedon vespiformis
⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.
Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however,
the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.
Monthly Records By Year:
Synanthedon vespiformis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Monthly Counts By Year: Synanthedon vespiformis
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )
First/Last Recorded Dates: Synanthedon vespiformis
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]
Shading shows moth presence between dates
Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required
Recordings By Year: Synanthedon vespiformis
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Synanthedon vespiformis
AGR: -6.53% | Total % Change: -33.3%
CUSUM Analysis: Synanthedon vespiformis
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 20 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.
Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 8 (August) to provide a full-year equivalent.
ⓘ
Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year)
Trough (worst year)
Growth periods
Decline periods
Population peaked around 2019, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2024, showing a significant decline.
What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i
Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Synanthedon vespiformis
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Synanthedon vespiformis
Synanthedon vespiformis
( data includes Adult Stage only )
Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.
Records Behind the Map and Charts - Synanthedon vespiformis – 15 records available
Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns
| Site Name | Tetrad | Date | Count | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Head, Crich. | SK35M | 09/07/2025 | 2 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Hague Street, Hay Meadow | SK09G | 04/07/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Norton Lees, Sheffield | SK38L | 02/06/2025 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| upper cromford garden | SK25Y | 28/07/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Park Head, Crich. | SK35M | 31/07/2024 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Norton Lees, Sheffield, UK | SK38L | 26/06/2024 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Sandiacre Garden | SK43S | 17/08/2023 | 2 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| West Hallam Ash Tip | SK44L | 11/07/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Glossop, Hague Street | SK09G | 07/07/2023 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Hague Street, Glossop, England, GB | SK09G | 07/07/2023 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Holmebrook Valley Park, Chesterfield | SK37L | 02/08/2022 | 1 | adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Havercroft Road | SK38L | 17/07/2020 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Havercroft Road | SK38L | 22/06/2019 | 3 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |
| Norton Lees | SK38L | 30/06/2019 | 1 | adult | Danes_2019-2021 |
| Stoneley Wood | SK38W | 12/06/1998 | 1 | Adult | vc57_irecords_extract |