karelsk barkfluga
Xylomya czekanovskii
The karelsk barkfluga (Xylomya czekanovskii) is a specialized dipteran fly species with a distinctive dark brown to black coloration and elongated proboscis adapted for feeding on tree bark exudates. This bark fly plays a crucial ecological role as both a decomposer of organic matter in forest ecosystems and as a pollinator of certain boreal plant species during its adult stage.
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Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Diptera
Family
Xylomyidae
Genus
Xylomya
karelsk barkfluga belongs to the family Xylomyidae, order Diptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
The karelsk barkfluga (Xylomya czekanovskii) is a specialized dipteran fly species with a distinctive dark brown to black coloration and elongated proboscis adapted for feeding on tree bark exudates. This bark fly plays a crucial ecological role as both a decomposer of organic matter in forest ecosystems and as a pollinator of certain boreal plant species during its adult stage.
Xylomya czekanovskii faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and forest fragmentation in its limited boreal range. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the specific microhabitat conditions required by this specialized dipteran species.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This species inhabits the bark crevices and cambial layers of mature spruce and pine trees in old-growth boreal forests of northern Scandinavia and northwestern Russia. The larvae specifically require the moist, nutrient-rich environment found beneath loose bark of trees that are at least 80-100 years old.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Xylomya czekanovskii faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and forest fragmentation in its limited boreal range. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the specific microhabitat conditions required by this specialized dipteran species.
Deforestation and logging activities
Forest fragmentation
Climate change altering microhabitat conditions
Limited geographic range making populations vulnerable
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). karelsk barkfluga (Xylomya czekanovskii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/karelsk-barkfluga