Small Plain Stiletto (Thereva fulva)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - true fly (Diptera) > Soldier fly or ally |
| Red List Status: | Near Threatened (Not Relevant) [NT(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Thereva fulva |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Meigen, 1804) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Drake, 2017 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | 10 records in the last 10 years from South East England, Essex, Kent, Hampshire and W Sussex. Seems to be associated with inland sandy areas and coastal dunes. Older records from other habitats may be erroneous. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | The habitat is fairly vulnerable to human disturbance, development and leisure activities, identification and management of populated sites may allow for protection and for natural processes to continue. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Management and protection of dune systems in general may potentially allow for expansion in range |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 4. Autecology and pressures understood |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Life history factor/s |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | The variety of habitats that the species has been identified from has called into question the reliability of some records. Further survey work and exploration of biology would benefit the species and allow for more targeted actions. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Targeted surveying by experienced dipterists to ascertain a more accurate assessment of distribution and populations. Possible use of Recording Schemes to promote surveying on a more general basis in suitable areas.
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Most recent records from: S Essex, 2021, (TQ595800), S Hampshire, 2020, 2016 (SU637032, SU6304), W Sussex, 2020, (SU982217), W Kent, 2020, 2015 (TQ8072, TQ601754), E Kent, 2015,(TR324427)
Comments: May be best approached nationally through recording scheme or Dipterist's forum as well as specifically targeting known sites. If populations can be identified then site specific actions may be implemented as necessary.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Once sites are identified, management and protection of dune areas from human disturbance (trampling) and encroachment of developments i.e golf courses is required
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Pressure mitigation
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Most recent records from: S Hampshire, 2020, 2016 (SU637032, SU6304), W Sussex, 2020, (SU982217), W Kent, 2020, 2015 (TQ8072, TQ601754), E Kent, 2015,(TR324427)
Comments: Dependant on whether fixed populations are found at these sites or adjacent areas, with the lack of records over the past ten years this may be difficult.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Once sites are identified, management and protection of dune areas from human disturbance (trampling) and encroachment of developments i.e golf courses is required
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Pressure mitigation
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Most recent records from: S Hampshire, 2020, 2016 (SU637032, SU6304), W Sussex, 2020, (SU982217), W Kent, 2020, 2015 (TQ8072, TQ601754), E Kent, 2015,(TR324427)
Comments: Dependant on whether fixed populations are found at these sites or adjacent areas, with the lack of records over the past ten years this may be difficult.
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.