It is as rare as the Scottish wildcat and even less common than the giant panda.
But now efforts to protect a critically endangered insect from extinction have been boosted thanks to a brandnew breeding centre in the Highlands that has been described as a “game changer” for the species.
The pine hoverfly (Blera fallax) is one of the UK’s rarest native insects. Known to be present in the wild at only one forest site in the Cairngorms National Park, the insect has not been seen in its native habitat in adult form for more than eight years.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has led efforts to save the species since 2016, with a critical conservation breeding programme based at its Highland Wildlife Park (HWP) near Kingussie.