An Ichneumon Fly

There doesn’t seem to be a layman’s guide to the Ichneumon Flies of the British Isles, of which there are over 2,000 species, but this may well be Ichneumon suspiciosus. This group of parasitic insects is abundant on hedgerows and other dense vegetation where they hunt about for the eggs of other invertebrates to parasitise. Adult ichneumons are long and slender with very long antennae of sixteen segments.



I chased it around the garden for a while only to find it (or another of the same species) come into the conservatory a few hours later.


The Tulips are at their peak. They're nearly as red as Jo's socks!