In mid December, I was wandering in one of my local woodlands, looking for but not spotting any elfcup fungi, when I found the main path blocked by a fallen tree. Other fungi species seemed also to be absent, bird sounds were minimal, and, as the trees were mostly deciduous, there were no leaves remaining on the branches to check for insects or mines. There was nothing for it but to get down and dirty in the leaf litter. And I’m very glad I did, as I very quickly found something I’d never seen before.

When I got home and found myself unable to identify the creature by googling, I posted my short video clip on social media, asking for help. Almost immediately, Geoff, an expert in fly larvae, popped up with an identification and this very informative snippet:

Another denizen of winter leaf litter is the tiny fly Lonchoptera (Spear-winged flies). The minute larvae feed on microbes found in the biofilm that coats decaying, damp leaves. Measuring just 3 mm in length, they require a keen eye to spot.

You can read more about the tiny flies of the genus Lonchoptera and see images of some of the species on the iNaturalistUK web page here.