clearwing

American  

[kleer-wing] / ˈklɪərˌwɪŋ /

noun

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

---

clearwing British  

/ 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

---

Etymology

Origin of clearwing

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 • Oct. 2, 2024

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

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2024

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 • Aug. 31, 2022

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 • Jun. 29, 2018