Bees are always getting into the greenhouse and can’t find their way out. I assist with a plastic glass an a piece of cardboard. One strange instance though. I was working in the greenhouse when a shiny black insect wasp shaped with grey stripes on its back flew in. It hovered around my head about 6” away, facing me as if checking me out. It then flew straight out of the partially open roof vent, which is unusual because all flying insects spend ages bashing against the glass trying to get out. This one new exactly where to go. Obviously intelligent. Anyone recognise what it was?
My parents have one in their garden. You can hold your hand out and it will hover just above. Amazing little thing
We get one on the edge of the border. It's quite entertaining watching it attack insects 3 times it's size Might it have been one of these? Fascinating insects. Adults lay eggs on old dead wood. When larvae hatch they wait for a wasp coming to gather wood for best building and hitch a ride. Back in the wasp nest they eat the wasp grubs, absorbing the pheromones and rendering them invisible to the wasps. They pupate in the nest and eventually fly off unmolested to start the cycle again
Nothing like those. Imagine a wasp, but the body part just after the head is shiny and black with grey stripes running from head down to the tail. The tail part is not furry, it is shiny black. But where a wasp’s tail goes to a point, this one is square at the end. The wings are similar to a wasp’s. I’ve scoured encyclopaedias (what people had before the internet) and the internet but I can’t find it.
I get the impression when it's hovering around me it's wondering if it could take me or not. Maybe if it had a tiny slingshot.
[QUOTE="Snaggletooth, post: 14843430, member: 1048413]Might be a zebra crow.[/QUOTE] It would be interesting to see how it’s mater and pater managed that one!
