Pine hoverfly larvae released in Cairngorms to boost numbers

Thousands of one of the UK’s most rare species are being released in Scotland in an effort to boost population numbers.

The pine hoverfly is critically endangered, with experts saying they have not seen them in Britain in their adult form for almost a decade.

The flying insects act as pollinators and waste removers and play an important role in forest ecosystems.

This week, 3,000 pine hoverfly larvae will be set free in the Cairngorms National Park.

The releases will be carried out by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) project.

Dr Helen Taylor, RZSS conservation programme manager, said: “Each individual pine hoverfly larva is a lifeline for our native population.”

She said the project has been particularly exciting given it supports a species which is “so often overlooked”.

Following a record-breaking breeding season at Highland Wildlife Park last year, RZSS began staggered releases in October into three forest habitats managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and the RSPB.

Genevieve Tompkins, RIC project officer, said “This is an exciting time for our volunteers and local communities, who have really taken the pine hoverfly to heart.

“These releases are the culmination of many years’ hard work by a broad range of people, including the Malloch Society, RIC pine hoverfly species champion Eileen Mathers and all our project partners.

“Seeing these rare and beautiful flies back in a diverse forest is the ultimate reward for all these efforts.”

Funding for the RZSS breeding programme came from government organisations NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland and the Scottish Government’s zoos and aquariums fund, and other organisations including the National Geographic Society and Cairngorms National Park Authority.