Research interests/expertise: Scottish and European Diptera. Ongoing collaborations involve several projects on specific dipteran groups, particularly on taxonomic and conservation subjects.
Iain's main interest is in the taxonomy of Lance-flies, a small family of Diptera which occurs across the world. We are fortunate at National Museums Scotland to have a globally important collection of this family which includes more than 4,000 specimens from over 60 countries. His other current research area is the montane Diptera of the Scottish Highlands, looking particularly at the impact of climatic change on their distribution. He is also involved in the conservation and management of Scottish saproxylic Diptera - in particular the pine and aspen hoverflies - and is a member of the multi agency steering group for these species.
Selected publications
MacGowan, I., Navarro-de-la-fuente, L., Williams, T. & lasa, R. 2025. A new species of Neosilba (Diptera, Lonchaeidae) associated with fig orchards in Mexico. Zootaxa 5583 (1): 195–200. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5583.1.12
MacGowan I., Ruchin, A.B. & Esin, M.N. 2025. A checklist of Lonchaeidae (Diptera) of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, with the description of a new species. Zoosystematica Rossica 34 (1): 9-17. https://doi.org/10.31610/zsr/2025.34.1.9
MacGowan, I., Miroslav, B. & Kubík, Š. 2024. New Records and an Updated Checklist of the Family Lonchaeidae (Diptera) from Bulgaria. Acta Zool. Bulg. 76 (4): 583-585. https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2024/002770
MacGowan, I. & von Tschirnhaus, M. 2024. Records of Lonchaeidae (Diptera, Cyclorrhapha) from Togo and other African countries, with descriptions of new species. Zootaxa 5514 (1): 001–027. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5514.1.1
MacGowan, I. 2023. World Catalogue of the family Lonchaeidae (Diptera, Cyclorrhapha, Acalyptratae). Zootaxa5307 (1): https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5307.1.1
MacGowan, I. & Ruchin, A.B. 2022. Two new species of Lonchaeidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from the Republic of Mordovia, Russia. Russian Entomological. Journal 31(1): 83–86.
MacGowan, I. & Gustad, J. 2022. An annotated checklist of the Norwegian Lonchaeidae (Diptera, Cyclorrhapha) with the description of a new species. Norwegian Journal of Entomology 69: 284-303.
MacGowan, I. and Astle, T. 2022. A new species of Earomyia Zetterstedt, 1842 (Diptera; Lonchaeidae) from Montana, U.S.A., associated with the toxic plant Toxicoscordion venenosum (S. Watson) Rydb. (Melanthiaceae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 98 (4): 313-320. https://doi.org/10.3956/2022-98.4.313
MacGowan, I. 2022. A new genus within the tribe Lonchaeini (Diptera, Lonchaeidae) based on two species from the Neotropics. Zootaxa5182 (6): 559–566. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5182.6.4
Macgowan, I. 2021. The Lonchaeidae of Vanuatu (Diptera: Schizophora). Zootaxa4926: 342–362. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4926.3.2
For further publications see the National Museums Scotland Research Repository.