Rare Fly Previously Known Only From Scottish Highlands Recorded in Morocco

A Moroccan study has identified a new species of fungus gnat and recorded eight other species in the country for the first time, expanding knowledge of this group of insects in Morocco.

Among the most notable findings is a rare fly previously known only from the Scottish Highlands. Its discovery in Moroccan forests places it thousands of kilometres from its previously documented habitat.

The record extends the insect’s known geographical range. It does not, however, establish that the fly migrated directly from Scotland to Morocco or explain how it came to be present in the forests.

The study’s findings also distinguish between a newly identified species and species newly recorded in Morocco. The eight first national records concern insects already known to science but not previously documented in the country.

Together, the discoveries add to the documented diversity of Morocco’s fungus gnats and raise questions about the wider distribution of a rare insect once associated only with the Scottish Highlands.