Aphids in trouble again

I noticed that the Knapweed was covered in brown aphids, so I settled down to see if any female hoverflies came along. Sure enough, a female Episyrphus balteatus arrived and as soon as she spotted the aphids she started to lay. The aphids are in trouble, since her larvae will consume them by the hundred.


Sometimes she laid her eggs quite distant from the aphids (but always on the same plant). At other times she laid a lot closer:


Spiders are the major gap in my knowledge. I must start on them next year.

I was getting acquainted with emerging specimens of Angelica, in preparation for the July flowering, and I spotted this mine of Phytomyza angelicastri:


A couple of additional images of Dactylorhiza orchids with slightly unusual markings. This one has very vague nectar guides:


And this one has nectar guides which are much redder than usual: