One of Scotland’s most unusual furry hoverflies has been spotted near Grantown-on-Spey in the Cairngorms National Park.
The insect, an ant-nest hoverfly, belongs to a group with adults that have forward pointing antennae short pointed wings and a dumpy build. Unlike many hoverflies, this species does not appear to feed on flowers.
The remarkable larvae, which were once classified in the same group as slugs and snails, are hemispherical in shape and heavily armoured. They develop in ant nests where they apparently prey on the eggs and larvae of ants.
A spokeman for the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group said: “Our recent find was at the edge of broadleaf woodland in Strathspey near Grantown on Spey where the hoverfly was clinging to an aspen leaf in a rain shower.
“We knew the wood in question to be a special place for rare wildlife as it is one of the few places in Britain where the critically endangered Aspen hoverfly has been recorded.
“Like the pine hoverfly recently featured on Springwatch the Aspen hoverfly is one of the many remarkable creatures that depend on dead wood.
“As far as we know, unlike the Aspen hover, the ant-nest hoverfly can be found in different types of woodland with the right kind of ants, so it too likely benefits from habitat with fallen wood.”
The spokesman added: “Some years ago visiting entomologist Steven Falk spotted this extraordinary hoverfly at School Wood in Nethybridge”