First Nature Reserve to Record 10,000 Species in UK–Thanks to Moth That Looks Like a Wasp

A nature reserve has become the first in UK to record 10,000 species, with the discovery of a unique moth that imitates a wasp.

The National Trust’s Wicken Fen, in Cambridgeshire, England, hit the total when a rare species of moth—the six-belted clearwing—was recorded on the reserve for the first time.

Named Bembecia ichneumoniformis, it has six yellow stripes on its black abdomen to mimic the appearance of a venomous wasp, which aids in warning off predators.

Recent finds at the National Nature Reserve include the formidable ant beetle, a scarce plant in the pea family called grass vetchling, and another moth—the evocatively-titled chamomile shark.

New bird records include a white-tailed eagle that roosted for one night in 2022 and a white stork that was seen several times in summer 2