Christii fly
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| Christii fly | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Subclass: | Pterygota |
| Infraclass: | Neoptera |
| Superorder: | Endopterygota |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Scatopsidae |
| Genus: | Ectaetia |
| Species: | E. christii |
| Binomial name | |
| Ectaetia christii Rotheray & Horsfield, 1997 |
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The Christii fly (Ectaetia christii) is a fly species named after the late Iain Christie, a farmer and amateur entomologist from Dunbartonshire. It measures 2 mm (1⁄12 in) long and is black in colour.[1] Christii flies live under the bark of smaller branches or twigs of dead aspen trees.[2]
[edit] Discovery
Iain Christie originally discovered the Christii fly with several others in the late 1980s, but the fly was not recognised as a new species until 1997, during a survey of the flora and fauna of the Cairngorms.[3] The research was conducted for the book The Nature Of The Cairngorms, which includes 223 species mainly found there and 1,153 further species for which the Cairngorms are nationally noted.[1] Graham Rotheray of the Museum of Scotland and Dave Horsfield of Scottish Natural Heritage found the Christii fly under the bark of a decaying aspen tree near Grantown-on-Spey.[4] Since then, it has been found in Norway and two or three more times in the Cairngorms.[1]
Rotheray described the Christii fly as "a superb example of a boreal species which has lain undiscovered in Scotland for thousands of years" and "a specialist species which adapted and probably came north with the retreat of the ice".[4] He also believed the fly to be a relict from the ice age.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Ross, John (2006-06-13). "Welcome on the hillside for new fly". The Scotsman. http://heritage.scotsman.com/news.cfm?id=866822006.
- ^ "New species discovered in the Cairngorms". The Scotsman. 2006-06-12. http://heritage.scotsman.com/news.cfm?id=865222006.
- ^ Kemp, Tina (2006-06-23). "Family's pride as new fly is named after Iain". The Lennox. http://icdunbartonshire.icnetwork.co.uk/thelennox/news/tm_objectid=17280272&method=full&siteid=78846&headline=family--x2019-s-pride-as-new-fly-is-named-after-iain-name_page.html.
- ^ a b "New mountain species discovered". BBC News. 2006-06-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/5069508.stm.
- ^ Smith, Lewis (2006-06-13). "Ice Age fly discovered alive and well in Scotland". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2222410,00.html.
[edit] External links
- Fauna Europaea – Taxon details
- Scottish Natural Heritage – Launch of The Nature of the Cairngorms
