A CREATURE left over from the last Ice Age has been discovered living in the Scottish hills.

But those hoping to spot a leftover wooly mammoth or sabre-toothed tiger will be disappointed as the relic species is a fly more commonly found in the high arctic or on Scandinavian tundra.

Scientists with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) staff discovered the insect, Okeniella caudata, in the Glen Clova area of the Cairngorms in July this year.

The fly is one of only a few specialised insects that survive on Scotland’s highest mountains, but had gone unnoticed by science until now.

Although a permanent resident, as with other mountain species, they are vulnerable to climate change and are thought to be a distant relative of the more common yellow dung flies.

The larvae live in the peaty mud beside upland lochs and burns in the high Cairngorms, while the adults are on the wing only for two or three weeks before mating and dying off.

Iain MacGowan, one of the SNH staff to discover the insect, said: “It was quite a surprise to find several specimens, both males and females, at an altitude of over 850 metres.

"These creatures and their ancestors have probably been living there since the last ice age, but have remained undiscovered partly due to the remote location of these areas and partly due to the short time which they live as adults.

"They aren’t of high risk of extinction right now, but if the climate warms these insects will be among the first to disappear.”