Fallen ash (Fraxinus) with heartrot

Saproxylic Diptera are those dependent at some stage in their life cycle on dead wood such as breeding in fallen trees and branches. Diptera using sap runs and tree holes of live trees and fruiting bodies of fungi growing on wood are also included.

Dead wood is a severely threatened habitat in Britain and Europe and many saproxylic Diptera are rare and endangered. For the past 12 years, finding and rearing saproxylic Diptera has been the major activity of the Malloch Society. Work on saproxylics is ongoing and has been grant-aided or otherwise supported by The British Ecological Society, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to whom we are very grateful.

Tree hole on sycamore (Acer)

Summary of the Scottish results

• 300 woodlands surveyed throughout Scotland
• over 2500 records of saproxylic Diptera obtained
• 258 species in 32 families encountered
• 206 species reared, many for the first time
• records of 53 red-listed species obtained
• 10 species new to science discovered
• 9 species new to Britain reared - most records from boreal tree species such as birch, Betula pubescens, pine, Pinus sylvestris and aspen, Populus tremula- most red-listed species restricted to north-east Scotland where relatively large stands of boreal trees still exist
• conservation status of 35 species re-evaluated
• publications produced on these results.

Sap run on beech tree (Fagus)

Key reference:

Graham E Rotheray, Geoff Hancock, Steve Hewitt, David Horsfield, Iain MacGowan, David Robertson & Kenneth Watt. 2001. The biodiversity and conservation of saproxylic Diptera in Scotland. Journal of Insect Conservation 5, 77-85.