Pretty flowers, furry mammals and birds get lots of likes, but when I post something with more than four legs it does not seem to be so popular. This is a pity because (a) there is a lot of beauty in the invertebrate world if you can reconsider your prejudices and (b) insects, especially, are an essential ingredient in the ecosystem that we are part of.
This one had flown in from the garden and was perched on the fridge door, probably wondering wherever she had found herself. 'Nasty fly in the house' could have been the reaction, but a closer look revealed a delicate and rather elegant member of the wasp tribe. I managed to coax her on to a piece of paper and placed her outside on a cosmos flower.
Ancistrocerus parietum is the name of this small wasp - no English name generally accepted.
The clue to her waspishness is the very narrow 'waist' which you don't get in e.g. hoverflies.
As well as the yellow and black stripes on the abdomen, notice the two yellow bands on the thorax and the bright yellow legs. Very smart.
After a short exploration she decided to fly off gracefully to a more appropriate home.
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