Found this little gem of a insect on Wednesday. it is a Ruby-tailed Wasp and it was under a cm long. Such vibrant colours and for the first time for me, one actually sat still and let me take some shots!
Wooden fence posts by the Dragonfly Pool and the walls of the Brick Building seem to be a good place to search for this great looking species. it is parasitic and searches out Mason Bees into which it lays its eggs. The bees then bring up the young a bit like a Cuckoo...
12-7-12
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer