Rare fly discovered at Mar Lodge Estate

Due to the specific cold water temperatures required for the species to thrive, the Arctic wave dancer is one of the insect species most at risk from climate change and is one of the Trust’s research priority species in our Plan for Nature. This discovery highlights the range of habitats and species in our care as well as our role in protecting and conserving wildlife in the country’s changing natural environment, through targeted conservation efforts, including habitat restoration and monitoring programmes.

Andrew Painting, the National Trust for Scotland’s Conservation Officer at Mar Lodge Estate NNR, said: ‘The Arctic wave dancer lives in about as remote and challenging an environment as you can find in Scotland, so finding it at a new site was a wonderful surprise, and is a testament to the hard work and skill of dedicated entomologists like Iain MacGowan. Our charity is responsible for protecting the nature in our care and the discovery of one of Britain’s rarest species at Mar Lodge Estate is evidence of nature’s resilience and the importance of our conservation work.’ 

Entomologist Iain MacGowan said: ‘Although it’s small, this fly is of enormous importance to the Cairngorms and the wider British Isles. Living in only a few of the high-altitude lochs, it is on the front line when it comes to meeting the challenge of climate change. Finding it at its highest-level site, 950m at Lochan Uaine, will hopefully ensure that the populations will be better able to withstand the effects of a warming climate. We must continue to monitor this iconic species and carry out further surveys of other potential sites.’

Launched in 2024, the Trust’s Plan for Nature outlines our ambitions for conserving the nature in our care and will play an important part in delivering government commitments for nature, including the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and tackling the nature and climate crises.