Projects

Can you help with the recording, monitoring and conservation of soldierflies and allies? This page links to some suggestions for species to look out for and projects to take part in. Please get in touch if you are involved with a project that you'd like us to add.

• Bee-fly Watch – record bee-flies in your garden or local site and help us monitor the emergence of spring bee-flies across the county. Where: anywhere in the UK. When: March to June.
• Search for the Silver Colonel – this is a rare soldierfly (Odonotomyia argentata) that flies in early spring (April-June) at wetland sites in southern England and the midlands. There are many sites where it used to occur but hasn't been recorded for many years, but in some cases this is probably due to no-one going to look for it! It's also been found recently at new sites on the northern edge of its range. Please look for this species and help us find out what's happening to it. Where: wetlands in the southern half of Britain. When: April to June (May is peak month).
• Spring Heath Robberfly – a scarce species of sandy habitats including heaths and dunes. Recorded from widely scattered locations in England and Wales, but probably under-recorded, and no recent records for many of its former sites. Has it been overlooked? Where else can it be found? Where: warm, dry habitats with sandy soils in England and Wales. When: April to July, main peak in late May.