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I found this prowling around a large colony of Peacock Inachis io larvae. Only managed a few poor shots (all hand-held) but it may be identifiable. I do have other angles/views if that would help.

21/6/2009 Devon, England

Thanks

Tim

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same fly, different view.

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Yes, a few more angles might help :)

It looks like Pelatachina tibialis but I can't really see the hind tibia well enough but the rest of the tibiae do look a bit reddish. Their hosts are nymphalid larvae, which fits the behaviour you saw :)

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Here's another view, showing reddish hind tibia - I take it this is a good character for Pelatachina tibialis then?

Tim

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It is certainly my best guess - it seems to match on plenty of features (tibia colour, rows of hind tibia bristles, head shape, 3 post-dc, excavation on T1+2 not reaching the margin etc) and it looks right - it's also sniffing around a suitable host too :)

Off the top of my head, I think Pelatachina came out as one of the commonest Small Tortoishell parasitoids in the recent (and ongoing) Butterfly Conservation Sturmia bella project. Just proving that their decline isn't entirely the fault of Sturmia bella and that the long-time native parasitoids can compete very well for hosts. ;)

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Thanks Chris.

It's interesting that this individual is so much darker than the pres. P.tibialis I photographed nearly a month ago - that was a nice fresh one, this is worn with more of the underlying black showing through. No wonder I didn't recognise it.

Tim