Sightings of one of UK's rarest insects triple

Sightings of one of the UK's rarest insects have tripled.

The green forest hoverfly, distinctive for its metallic green and golden body and bright orange wings and legs, has increased in numbers that have far exceeded previous records.

A four-year study supported by Forestry England found more than 450 sightings of the insect in the New Forest. The Hampshire national park is one of only two places the hoverfly is discovered, with the other being Windsor Great Park in Berkshire.

The rare insect emerges for a few weeks each spring and relies on a specific habitat to survive, laying its eggs on decaying stumps and ancient beech trees.

Before 2022, there were only 150 sightings of the green forest hoverfly, also known as the Caliprobola speciosa.

Since then, more than 2,700 hours of data collection by volunteers have shown those numbers increasing, with more than 200 logged in 2025 alone.

Andy Murdock, a member of the green hoverfly hunt team, said the volunteer-led data has helped conservationists to better understand the rare insect.

He said: "Over the last four years the volunteers who have supported this survey work have greatly improved our understanding of one of Britain's rarest and most enigmatic hoverflies.

"The project has shown that the green forest hoverfly is much more widespread in the New Forest than previously thought and that with the right habitat it can continue to thrive."

The volunteers also found a variety of other nationally rare and scarce insects, which has helped to highlight the importance of the New Forest's ancient woodland.

Forestry England said it had used the green forest hoverfly hunt team's findings to improve habitat management such as cutting back holly surrounding ancient beech tree stumps.

Leanne Sargeant, senior ecologist at Forestry England, described the New Forest as a "haven for nature".

"The New Forest is home to some of the UK's oldest and most biodiverse woodlands and these areas are a haven for nature," she said.

"It's really positive that the green forest hoverfly is widespread here, especially as this is one of only two places in the whole UK where this species is found."