Fancy-legged fly Campsicnemus magius

Fancy-legged flies belong to the Dolichopodidae – a family of small, often brilliantly metallic flies characterised in many species by elaborately ornamented legs used in courtship display. Scarce members of this group are associated with specific wetland, heathland, or coastal habitats, and their presence is a reliable indicator of habitat quality. As predatory insects, both adults and larvae play a role in invertebrate food webs. Suffolk’s coastal marshes, river valleys, and heathlands hold potential habitat for rare dolichopodid species, and a targeted invertebrate survey has helped to build a clearer picture of their distribution across the county. Image: © Palamarchuk Yuri, iNaturalist 

Find out more: iNaturalist, BBC Wildlife