Soldierflies, their allies and Conopidae of Surrey

Description:

The Soldierflies and their allies, (collectively known as the 'Larger Brachycera'), consist of 11 families including the bee-flies, horseflies, robberflies, snipeflies and stiletto flies. Surrey has 104 of the 159 species in the national list. This total puts Surrey near the top in Britain numerically and the county supports a significant proportion of the national populations of three important and iconic species – the Hornet Robberfly, the Mottled Bee-fly and the Golden-tabbed Robberfly. A high proportion of the soldierflies and their allies are considered nationally scarce and are generally not easy to find. The same can also be said for the Conopidae, which are parasitoids mostly of bees and wasps although thanks to its rich bee and wasp fauna, Surrey has 19 of the 23 species that make up the British list of conopid flies. Includes distribution map and notes on the life cycle of each species. Also includes details on how to find the flies, analysis of the best sites in Surrey, data about enemies and predators, and a full list of references. The colour plates illustrate more than 80 species, mostly in the wild and often displaying characteristic behaviour.