Oversley Wood

A few of the more interesting finds from a recent visit to Oversley Wood.

Digger Wasp - Ectemnius lapidarius

A species of solitary wasp that nest in the ground or rotting wood. They prey on other insects and caterpillars  and drag their prey back to their nest burrows as food for the wasp grubs. This one didn't appear to be hunting but feeding on pollen.

Leaf Beetle ?

This was a tiny beetle on a thistle and  you can see a ladybird in the background to guage the scale. I don't think it is a small ladybird but some kind of leaf beetle or bug. However i have not yet been able to settle on an ID.

Thick-Headed Fly - Conops quadrifasciata

I like these conopid flies which aren't that common , look unusual and go by the rather insulting name of Thick-Headed Flies.

Eriothrix rufomaculata

Another one I hadn't seen before. It is a member of the Tachnid Fly family which are characteristically hairy and is similar to the much more common Tachina Fera except this one is bright red and a lot smaller.