Ichneumon

Not a lot of variety in the moth trap this morning, other than just about all the different Yellow Underwings and a number of challenging faded Rustics/Uncertains. However, there were a few different species of Ichneumon Wasps. This stunning large species is almost certainly Ophion luteus, but it is a very tricky group to identify for certain. The Ichneumonidae is a very large group of parasitic insects whose larvae live in or on the early stages of other insects, in the case of this one, in various moth caterpillars. A messy upbringing, perhaps, but a splendid looking adult.