All about insects 2022

Two for one day today. :-)  Got this picture from part of our newly planted wildlife area in the garden.  

I'd like to think it was the smell of my cooking that enticed this dragonfly into the kitchen. As big a dragonfly as I've ever seen and noisy, too  

Gorgeous! Great photo.

Wow!!!

I'm tempted to offer up female Southern Hawker as an ID, but I'm not 100% sure. I'll also need the recipe of your meal to see if I can replicate the feat!!
Gorgeous visitor!!

Thank you, quite scary when it flew towards me

It really was a moment. Thank you

Ah yes, I can definitely see that - thanks to Google, Thank you for the ID. It was obviously quite taken with a bit of pasta

I would say this a Horsefly ... but what a whopper! The internet says Horseflies range from 10 - 25mm in lenth. This one must have been 35 or 40mm. It was absolutely huge. I caught it, took a few snaps then let it go.

Billysdad said:

I would say this a Horsefly ... but what a whopper! The internet says Horseflies range from 10 - 25mm in lenth. This one must have been 35 or 40mm. It was absolutely huge. I caught it, took a few snaps then let it go.

Maybe that one is a Shire  Horsefly