The Society for the study of flies (Diptera)

Hi Dave,

As suggested by Nigel, follow his link to the hoverfly recording scheme website, then you coiuld look through the maps to establish a list of hoverflies for the area you are interested in.  I am the Diptera recorder for the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, and could produce a list for you if I knew the precise wolds area boudaries you intended to use, but it would take me a while to do, and spare time is something I don't really have.

The Yorkshire Wolds is an area of rolling hills, most of which is intensively farmed arable land, and frustratingly devoid of any invertebrate interest.  Hoverflies, and other invertebrates are concentrated in any areas which cannot be ploughed, e.g. old quarries, railway cuttings, steep hillsides, plantations, road verges, etc., but the vast majority of the area is arable, and your chalk grassland species will be restricted to areas such as old quarries and hillsides which are steep and have little top-soil.  These are the areas in which species such as Xanthogramma citrofasciatum occur, and this will be one of the species you are interested in.

Best of luck with the study.

Andrew Grayson