 Experts recorded 219 adult moths in two days |
Efforts to restore a wildlife haven seem to have paid off with the first confirmed sighting in nearly 100 years of a rare moth. Experts at Cannock Chase suspected last year that the Welsh Clearwing moth, not seen on the Chase since 1922, may be back.
It is now thought the Chase could be home to the UK's largest colony.
The moth's revival could be down to efforts to remove bracken and encourage wildlife back to the area.
The Welsh Clearwing has always been rare in the UK, only occurring in small parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland in recent years.
As a result people had stopped looking for it in Staffordshire.
Experts from the Butterfly Conservation Trust and Staffordshire County Council got together to record sightings of the moth and recorded 219 adults in two days.
A spokesman said: "It's testament to the incredible hard work put into the regeneration of the unique heathland habitat by the council's professional team of wildlife experts and the dedication of the band of volunteers."
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