Biodiversity surveyor Guy Knight discovered the sawfly (Nematus pseudodispar) at the Dundreggan Estate in Glen Moriston, which lies to the west of Loch Ness in Inverness-shire.
The specimen was collected on August 20 this year, but a second opinion was sought from an expert in Germany before the sawfly's identity was confirmed.
The species has never been recorded in the UK before. It is also thought to be extremely rare in Europe, having only been found in Finland and Latvia. The species is considered to be a true northern European birchwood specialist.
"The presence of the sawfly on Dundreggan is remarkable, and we are delighted to have made this discovery during the International Year of Biodiversity. It illustrates the importance of the estate's birch-juniper woodland, which is amongst the best of its type in Scotland" said Alan Watson Featherstone, director of conservation charity Trees for Life.
The discovery of this sawfly is the latest in a string of finds at the site. These include a mining bee thought to have been extinct in Scotland since 1949 and the golden horsefly, which had only been since twice in Scotland since 1923 until it was spotted on Dundreggan in 2008.
Trees for Life is planting half a million trees at Dundreggan, as well as developing scientific research and education programmes, and supporting the return of rare woodland wildlife, plants and insects.
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