Stink Fly

The Stink Fly (Coenomyia ferruginea) is a large, robust member of the family Xylophagidae, distinguished by its elongated reddish-brown to rust-colored body, dark-veined translucent wings, and long legs adapted for clinging to bark and decaying wood. Adults typically measure between 15 and 25 millimeters, with females often slightly larger than males, and both sexes display the family's characteristic tapered abdomen. The species is currently classified as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN, reflecting significant pressure on the mature forest habitats it depends upon throughout its range in parts of Europe and temperate Asia.

Larvae of the Stink Fly are saproxylic, developing within decomposing logs and stumps of broadleaf and mixed woodland, where they play an important ecological role as decomposers, helping to break down dead wood and recycle nutrients back into forest soils. Adults are most often encountered in late spring and summer, resting on tree trunks or foliage near mature woodland edges, and are thought to feed little as adults, focusing energy instead on reproduction during their brief flight period. Because the species requires standing and fallen deadwood in structurally complex, old-growth or long-undisturbed forest stands, it is highly sensitive to intensive forestry practices, deadwood removal, and habitat fragmentation.

On a more encouraging note, targeted deadwood retention schemes and the expansion of protected old-growth reserves in parts of its range have created localized strongholds where suitable breeding substrate persists, offering a tangible pathway for stabilizing remaining populations if such practices are more widely adopted. Continued monitoring and habitat protection remain essential to securing the species' long-term survival.

The Stink Fly inhabits mature broadleaf and mixed forests, where its larvae develop within decomposing logs and stumps on the forest floor.