The Welsh Clearwing was once thought to only exist in remote parts of Scotland and Wales and is notoriously difficult to spot.

But now it has made only its second ever recorded appearance in England at Sherwood Forest.

The rare visitor spends most of its three year life-span in caterpillar form and only three weeks of its life in winged form, where its transparent wings and orange tail allow it to mimic various types of wasp to deter predators.

Classed as a Red Data Book species, the rarest category in Britain, the moth was spotted by ranger Garry Joynt who caught it and identified the rare breed before safely releasing it.

"I was really pleased for the site – not so much for myself but for Sherwood Forest," he said. "Again it shows the importance of protecting it."

Dr Sheila Wright, zoologist and larger moth recorder at the Nottingham Natural History Museum, helped record the sighting and said that it was a very rare occurrence.

"For it to be spotted in Sherwood Forest this summer was totally unexpected and it is very exciting," she said.

"The moth is likely to have always been present in Sherwood Forest – but it is a secretive and easily overlooked species."