Ivy Visitors 22

Top of the ivy league today, the central image, is a common Tachina, Tachina fera. These bristly flies feed on umbellifers and waterside plants and their larvae are parasites of caterpillars and young insects. They have the potential to be of economic importance in forest pest control. They used to be called Echinomyia because of their spikiness.

Lots of red admirals fluttering around the bush today, I've included an image of one. The hornet visited a few times but didn't stop. I saw it chasing a red admiral. The small white butterfly is being buzzed by an ivy bee. A carder bee called. Love the green eyes of the long-legged fly. It's the first time I've captured a chequered hoverfly on the ivy, not sure of the identity of the other hoverfly. 

Lovely to see the female 'spotty bottom fly'. Her abdomen is the same colour as her thorax, unlike that of the male. She has been photobombed by a tiny black fly. A very attractive pinkish and glittering bug dropped in, could be a Scolopostethus of some sort. A nice selection for the last day of summer.