Flies

True flies (Diptera)

• Trees woods and wildlife

  Dark-edged bee-fly

  Masquerading as a bumblebee, this agile mimic is a lover of all things nectar. Look out for it buzzing from flower to flower on warm, sunny days.

• Trees woods and wildlife

  St Mark’s fly

  A long-legged fly you can tell the time by – well, the time of year. St Mark’s flies emerge en-masse around 25 April each year.

Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

• Trees woods and wildlife

  Land caddisfly

  These clever case-builders break all the rules. They're the only species out of 200 UK caddisflies to spend their lives entirely on land.

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

• Trees woods and wildlife

  Mayfly

  Known for its short adult life, the mayfly is here for a good time, not a long time. Emerging between May and August, it dances above freshwater rivers and lakes to find a mate.

Keep exploring

Blog

Insect identification: common UK insects

Charlotte Varela  •  09 Oct 2023

Trees woods and wildlife

Butterflies

Find out more about butterflies and how we're protecting and increasing their woodland habitat.

Trees woods and wildlife

Moths

Discover the moth species that live in woodland, and how they use their camouflage skills to blend in with tree bark and leaves.

Trees woods and wildlife

Beetles

Get the lowdown on woodland beetles that rely on trees and the woodland ecosystem, from decaying wood to dead animals. 

Trees woods and wildlife

Other invertebrates

Find out about the millions of woodland insects and invertebrates that live among the leaves, under bark, in dead wood, leaf litter and soil.