Found this interesting little insect on the reserve last weekend. So far, I have found no ID for this little insect. I would be very grateful for any information about this creature.
Hi, it looks like a type of parasitic wasp.
In reply to Peter C:
Possibly a Soldier Beetle.
I sort of agree but I did not think they had the claspers this one appears to have at the rear end. Still cannot find anything like it on the internet.
My best guess is it's a ichneumonid (sometimes called ichneumon wasps) and possibly belonging to the sub-family Ophioninae. If so, they parasitise caterpillars and there are 2100 species in the UK. Gooogle "Ophioninae" images for similar examples.
In reply to JimD:
Many thanks JimD. Certainly the best likeness to the photo I took.