Level A2
More unusual insects are moving into new areas in the UK. People are seeing species like the hummingbird hawk moth in higher numbers than before. These insects usually live in warmer southern countries.
Warmer summer weather is helping these insects travel further north. For example, the hummingbird hawk moth flies to the UK from southern Europe and North Africa in summer. It has a grey body, orange back wings, and wings that beat 80 times every second. Many people mistake it for a small bird when it hovers over flowers.
Another insect moving north is the ivy bee, which feeds on ivy flowers. It was first seen in the UK in 2001. Other species like the wasp spider, which has bright yellow, black, and white stripes, have also moved over 100 miles north of their usual home.
Wildlife experts say warmer weather from climate change may help some of these insects stay in the UK all year. However, while some new insects are arriving, some older UK species are becoming rarer.
Level B1
Unusually warm summer temperatures in the UK are allowing several rare insect species to expand into new regions. Wildlife groups in the West Midlands reported a record number of sightings in 2026 for species that normally prefer warmer climates in southern Europe or southern England.
Among the new arrivals is the hummingbird hawk moth, a migratory insect from southern Europe and North Africa. Known for its furry grey body, orange hindwings, and wings that beat about 80 times per second, it hovers over flowers and is often mistaken for a small bird. Another expanding species is the ivy bee, which feeds mainly on ivy nectar. First recorded in the UK in 2001, it has been slowly spreading northward across the country.
Warmer weather has also pushed the wasp spider—famous for its yellow, black, and white stripes—more than 100 miles away from its traditional habitat into counties like Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Warwickshire. Other creatures, such as the clouded yellow butterfly and the hornet hoverfly, are also becoming more common in areas where they were rarely seen two decades ago.
Local experts like James Benwell from the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust note that if temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, some migratory insects may become permanent residents in the UK. However, scientists warn that hot weather does not benefit every insect, as some previously common native species, such as the small tortoiseshell butterfly, are now declining rapidly.