#30DaysWild Day 26: Colourful Wasps

With the exception of the top right image, these photographs were all taken in Suffolk

Before we moved to Suffolk eight or so years ago a wasp to me was pretty much a wasp, an insect to be avoided at all costs if at all possible. I still fight shy of what is sometimes referred to as the Common Wasp, having ended up in A&E the last time I was stung.

However, I have discovered that a wasp is not a wasp is not a wasp. These insects come in many shapes, sizes and colours; and in terms of showiness, my favourite is undoubtedly the Ruby-tailed wasp which we sometimes see in our garden. It has cuckoo wasp traits, but I love the brightness of its iridescence, which is seen as shiny reds, greens and blues.

I decided to make a collage of some of my more colourful or unusual wasp photos for Day 26 of #30DaysWild. I wonder what picture comes to mind when you hear the 'wasp' word...

A wonderful site to visit... here.

Mystery Insect, Possibly Cuckoo Wasp

This insect was in my Suffolk garden today (it was actually on 15th, but I'm keeping holiday posts together). I'm wondering if it might be a solitary bee or a cuckoo wasp (or possibly a kind of fly). We see Ruby-tailed Wasps most years. Please leave a comment if you know ...

Update: thanks to a kind enthusiast on iSpot, it seems it may well be a Tachinid fly, possibly genus Cylindromyia.And further thanks to Conehead54 who tells me in the Comments below that it is 'Eriothrix rufomaculata, which is a parasitoid of various moth larvae.'

Home Patch: Ruby-tailed Wasp

It is always interesting to see new things in the garden. I have been watching my Ladybird house, and while - alas - I have not seen any Ladybirds, I have noticed some flying insects who keep alighting on the wooden post, just below the house. More often than not, these insects have invariably flapped their wings and flown off in the time it has taken me to adjust the zoom on my camera. I am wondering whether at least one of them, a cuckoo wasp, is linked to another insect's nest in the Ladybird house.

Yesterday, however, I saw an insect (no photo, I'm afraid from that sighting, despite an attempt) of an insect I recognised instantly from a visit to Minsmere last August ... a Ruby-tailed Wasp. These insects with their metallic rose-red abdomens and their emerald green head and thorax have been described as  'perhaps one of the most beautiful British insects'. The photos I tried to take at Minsmere last year have been re-posted below, underneath my recent pictures.  

The insect in the photos immediately above and below was sighted this morning. It shone with iridescence, but the areas of colour were not defined, unlike those of the Ruby-tailed Wasps I have seen.

The insect below also visited the same post below the Ladybird house this morning. I would guess that a creature with those white markings would be relatively easy to identify ... but an ID has eluded me thus far. I have found somewhat similar-looking insects on websites from the USA ('black and white' wasps etc.), but nothing from the UK.

Later: taking a second look, I just wonder whether the four white 'moons' could simply be reflections due to the iridescent nature of the elytra. What do you think?

If you can help with identification, do leave a comment or email me (email on Profile page). All these insects have wings, and when they land, they don't stay still for long!

You can read my previous post about the Ruby-tailed Wasp here ... and the identification help I received from 'What's that Bug?', which is here.

Ruby-tailed Wasp