An old mystery solved for me

Lord Vetinari · May 17, 2014

For a few years I've seen small (2.5mm) chalcid wasps in groups on columbine (aquilegia) flowers. I'd tried to find out what they were actually doing on the flowers apart from mating and had failed.
This year I again took a photo of one of the wasps and then took a photo of a frit fly that was standing in a nice pose on one of the horns of the flower.
I posted them on Flickr and had a reply with a link that showed the wasps were actually parasitoids of the frit fly. The frit fly was ovipositing in to the flower.
The wasp is probably Seladerma simplex and the fly Phytomyza krygeri .
Brian V.

Previous shots of the wasps going back to 2010

Recent shot

Followed by this shot of a frit fly ovipositing on the same flower

GOLDENORFE · May 17, 2014

Very interesting Brian. Never seen any bugs on my aqualiga flowers. Ever!
Superb looking wasps

Lord Vetinari · May 17, 2014

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

Very interesting Brian. Never seen any bugs on my aqualiga flowers. Ever!
Superb looking wasps

Thanks Phil

Don't you even get bumble bees robbing them of nectar by going in through the side of the horns ?
Brian v.

DeeBug · May 17, 2014

Superb images Brian!

Davy

GOLDENORFE · May 17, 2014

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

Thanks Phil
Don't you even get bumble bees robbing them of nectar by going in through the side of the horns ?
Brian v.

Only few times last year , nothing visiting them this year that I have noticed .
Actually spotted s honey bee in garden 2 night's ago. Very rare ocurance