Species Account for Dioctria oelandica
Dioctria oelandica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Diptera: Larger Brachycera: Asilidae
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Taxonomic group: soldier flies and allies (Diptera: Larger Brachycera) - County data
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Status: NS
Essex RDB: Listed
Threat: Essex Unknown
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This is a striking robber fly with strongly brown or purple tinged wings. It is widely dispersed in England, Wales and as far north as Perthshire in Scotland, predominating in southern England. Falk (1991a) describes it as a very local and declined species with about 25 post 1960 sites, and the New Forest as a stronghold. Stubbs & Drake (2001) note that the species seems to be strongly associated with oak forest, occurring in the warmer southern forests, but easiest to find in the valley oak woods of south-west England. Two records exist for Essex: Colchester (1898) and Chafford Hundred (1995). There must be some doubt about the Chafford Hundred record, since neither its national status nor significance in Essex terms are recognised in Tattersfield et al. suggesting that there may have been a transpositional error. References
Habitats
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