Conservationists at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) have celebrated releasing the 30,000th pine hoverfly into the Cairngorms National Park as part of the breeding programme for the species. This milestone follows the wildlife conservation charity’s release of nearly 7,000 larvae across four sites in March 2026.

Conservationists at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) have celebrated releasing the 30,000th pine hoverfly into the Cairngorms National Park as part of the breeding programme for the species. This milestone follows the wildlife conservation charity’s release of nearly 7,000 larvae across four sites in March 2026.

The pine hoverfly is one of Britain’s rarest insects and is Critically Endangered in Scotland. It depends on complex woodland habitats which were once widespread in the UK but are now restricted to a few sites within the Cairngorms.

The team braved high winds and hail for the landmark release, undertaken as part of the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) project and in collaboration with the Pine Hoverfly Steering Group.