Invertebrates
The invertebrates are by a large margin the most species-rich group in Scotland. For insects alone, there are an estimated 14,000 species which occur in Scotland.
Invertebrates can be categorised into three main areas:
- Terrestrial Invertebrates, such as insects and butterflies
- Freshwater Invertebrates, such as dragonflies and mussels; and
- Marine Invertebrates, such as limpets and jellyfish.
The identification and evaluation of the Scottish invertebrate fauna are still continuing, and species which are new to science, new to Britain or new to Scotland continue to be found.
Priority Species
Available here is a list of priority species with Action Plans (within the UK, their populations occur entirely or mostly in Scotland)
- Hymenoptera (ants and bees)
- Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
- Diptera (flies)
- The hoverfly (Blera fallax)
- The hoverfly (Hammerschmidtia ferruginea)
- The cranefly(Lipsothrix ecucullata)
- The stiletto fly (Spiriverpa lunulata)
- Coleoptera (beetles)
- Plecoptera (stoneflies)
- Mollusca (snails)
Publications and Resources
- Burnet moths
- Bumblebees
- The Law and You
Education & Teachers Resources series
- Butterflies