The Angelica is currently covered with insects of all kinds. Most are nectaring, but a few of them use the nectaring insects as a source of their own food in a similar way that crocodiles and lions use watering-holes as prime feeding ground.
The above shot shows:
A) Ichneumonids
B) Tenthredo sp. Sawfly
C) Ectemnius Wasp
D) Tree Wasp
This nectaring Ichneumonid poses a bit of a problem. I've seen this upward-curved ovipositor a few times, but I can't really work out the purpose of that curve. Maybe it reverses into a hole and lays its egg backwards?
Sometimes you see something and you intuitively know it's new. This Leafhopper was a bit larger than the usual ones and slightly more rounded. A quick check through the references reveals that it's Aphrophora alni, and is new to me.
Similarly, this hoverfly shouted "I'm new, too", and I managed to get a few shots before it flew off. It's certainly a Melangyna sp., but that's as close as we can get without capturing it.
These are scarce at the best of times: the larvae are specialist eaters of specific aphids.
2 comments:
Hi Stuart,
Some interesting life there. I like your technique of lettering the photo - clever stuff.
Umbellifers are excellent platforms for insect-watching at the moment.
Welcome, Rob. I love Angelica at this time of year. It's quite a strange year: a couple of plants have gone to seed already, whilst some have yet to open, so the season might be a little longer than usual.
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