This Ichneumonid with huge antennae was wandering over leaves, sweeping the antennae from side to side. Long antennae usually indicate the male, but I'm sure this one was searching for larvae on the underside of the leaf.
Two shots of one of my favourite hoverflies, Scaeva pyrastri:
And a good wasp mimic, Sericomyia silentis.
Most leafminers make either a gallery mine (long and thin) or a blotch mine (erm, blotchy). Agromyza sulfuriceps does both. The mine starts as a gallery, then the gallery twists are all made adjacent to each other. Finally it breaks the walls and makes the blotch. A blotch mine has a distinct advantage in that the upper surface of the leaf can be pushed upwards. This allows the larva to grow bigger due to the increased space. So maybe this is a once-little fly that's getting bigger.
I have to leave the identification of this one a bit abstract: the species complex hasn't been fully worked out, yet. So it's Chromatomyia sp. On Common Ragwort.
As I was walking back to the car I heard a Buzzard high above me. No telephoto on a macro lens.
More nice photos - I haven't seen any Scaeva pyrastri yet this year, but will now keep my eyes open. That little ich is extraordinary - is it me, or is there a distinct kink in the right antenna about half way up? Wonder if that is damaged?
ReplyDeleteYes, I noticed that kink. I'd say it would be difficult to keep those antennae undamaged for the life of the wasp.
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