‘Extinct’ fly causing a buzz in Jutland

Eristalis Ostracea had been ‘missing’ since 1993

Presumed to be extinct for over 20 years, the fly Eristalis Ostracea has been found buzzing around Nissum Fjord in west Jutland by a nature guide from the Natural History Museum at Aarhus (NHMA).

The fly – known as ‘bremsedyndfluen’ in Danish – hasn’t been seen since 1993, leading experts to believe it was extinct.

“It’s difficult to say with the relatively small creatures – it’s not like there are thousands of people out in the woods searching for them,” Morten Hansen, a curator at NHMA, told DR Nyheder.

“We know there are species out there that we have considered extinct. We are working hard to find these species at the moment, because if they’ve managed to stay alive, they really deserve a safety net. Anything less would be a disaster.”

READ MORE: Every fourth animal species threatened with extinction

30 year wait
According to Hansen, there are 22,000 species of small animals in Denmark.

For an animal subspecies to be officially declared extinct, it must have been missing for at least 30 years.




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