As regular readers will know, I like wasps. They do a great job of keeping us free of creepy-crawlies. While common yellow-jackets are excellent at predation, don’t write off the usually unseen parasitic wasps. There are thousands of species worldwide (over 6600 in the UK alone), and it is estimated that for every insect species there is at least one parasitic wasp which preys on it. These wasps can be anything up to 50mm (2 inches) in size, maybe more; but many are tiny and seem to defy the limits of miniaturisation at under 1mm.

So I’m always interested when coming across a parasitic wasp. N found this one today in the bathroom …

It’s body was c.15-20mm (maybe a bit more) + the ovipositor; rich dark golden brown. The ovipositor was no more than 5mm and black. It’s antennae appeared black; and much longer than body. Its legs were definitely yellow-ish. iNaturalist suggests it is Ophion obscuratus, but it could be Ophion scutellaris.

They’re alien looking beasts – especially about the head – but rather beautiful for all that. And without them we’d be knee deep in caterpillars and other creeping beasticles.