Discover
Identify
Record
Yellow flat-footed fly - Agathomyia wankowiczii
Misleadingly called the Yellow flat-footed fly it is in fact vivid orange and the only totally orange member of its family in Britain. Agathomyia wankowiczii is also the only invertebrate in Britain known to cause a gall on a fungus, and a very specific fungus - Artist’s Bracket fungus (Ganoderma applanatum).
Where Artist’s Bracket fungus (Ganoderma applanatum) is found.
The galls can be seen throughout the year.
The Artist’s fungus is a hard fungus which grows slowly enough for the fly to lay its eggs and harbour the growth of the offspring before the fungus decays. Because of this it is the only host that can support this insect. Astonishingly this is currently one of the only insect and fungi gall combinations known in Britain! The gall is found in large clusters on the whitish underside of the fungus. They start as small warts that can grow up to 1cm in height. Inside each wart is the grub of the fly. Once the grub is fully grown it bores a hole into the top of the gall and falls to the ground where it buries its self into the soil before it pupates to turn into the adult fly.
Although it well known in Europe it was first found in the UK in Kent in 1990. The adult fly is rarely seen so it is easier to search for the galls (which are easily overlooked because they are on the underside of the fungus). The species appears to be spreading northwards in Britain, as at March 2018 it is known from (approx) 58 hectads.
It has been recorded in VC55 (Leicestershire and Rutland) since 2003.
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
Enter a town or village to see local records
MAP KEY:
Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Species group:
- Flies
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Diptera
- Family:
- Platypezidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 6
- First record:
- 22/03/2018 (Calow, Graham)
- Last record:
- 13/02/2023 (Bell, Melinda)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.