Black Colonel

Thie Black Colonel is a widepread but generally rare species, the exceptions being some stretches of coastal grazing marsh in counties like Sussex (e.g. Pevensey and Pett Levels) where it is one of the commonest soldierflies. It will also occur inland in association with swampy water margins, ditches and canals but is much rarer here.


Despite this, it has been recorded from our Peterborough garden for the last three years, and is presumably well-established in our rather swampy garden ponds. It was good to see several basking in the spring sunshine today.