Description: Wingspan 18-26mm. Adults have blackish abdomen with a distinctive red band the tips to the forewings are also red. Like other species of clearwings the wings are transparent with dark veining. The Irish form of this species has a noticeable white tip on the apex of the antennae. End of June to late July.

Irish Distribution: First recorded in 1985 and confirmed in 1990 from Brackagh Moss, NNR, Armagh, which remains its only known locality in N. Ireland.

Ecology: A rare and wary species that has seldom been seen despite frequent searches at its only known locality. It seems to have a preference for swamps with mature sallows in reasonable numbers. Fieldwork carried out in similar localities has failed to find it. Adults seem to be most active during sunshine especially in the early morning and late afternoon where they have been observed visiting flowers particularly meadowsweet. The adults have a skittish nature and disturbance of any kind usually results in a swift departure or in some cases dropping into the vegetation making them impossible to find. The larvae feed inside the stems of willows with little outward sign to betray their presence.

Distribution Map from NBN: Synanthedon formicaeformis at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Synanthedon formicaeformis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.