As parts of the West Midlands baked in warmer temperatures this summer, species once considered unusual in the region, such as hummingbird hawk moths, ivy bees and the wasp spider have been spotted in growing numbers.
The hummingbird hawk moth, known for its furry grey body, orange hindwings and long proboscis, migrates to the UK from southern Europe and north Africa in the summer months.
James Benwell, from the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, said 2026 was a "record year" for sightings of the species, which was often mistaken for a small bird.
The moth has wings that beat about 80 times per second, external, according to Benwell.
"Normally they would come in small numbers."
Ivy bees had also become more prevalent in the Midlands, Benwell said.
The bees, first recorded in the UK in 2001, are slowly spreading north, after first being recorded in the region in Stourbridge in 2015.
Other insects that had seen an increase in their numbers locally included the clouded yellow butterfly, a European migratory species known to have "peak" years during hot summers.
The trust said the hornet hoverfly, with yellow markings that mimic a hornet to protect against predators, although it cannot sting, had become common after it was first recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country in 2004.
The spider has recently been recorded in Worcestershire, alongside sightings in Herefordshire and Warwickshire, said the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.
Rosemary Winnall, from the Wyre Forest Study Group said the arrival of the wasp spider was to be celebrated.