I found this crysalis while moving pots earlier this year and put it into a bug box in the greenhouse for safe keeping. There's been butterflies out for a while now and it hadn't pupated so I assumed it was dead but then today I went into the greenhouse and heard loud pattering noises from the box. Sadly it wasn't butterfly wings making the noise but 14 lively wasps all trying to get out. They'd chewed a hole in the side of the crysalis and all emerged at the same time. It must have been pretty crowded in there. Sad to see in a way but at the same time it's all part of life and these wasps will suffer as butterflies decline along with many other creatures we probably never consider.
The magnification change in the photos makes the wasp look bigger than it is but it's not much bigger than the hole it came out of.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
That looks like a wood wasp? Pretty chrysalis, RIP. I have cocooned ones appear in my shed, apparently they need moisture, but if they're purposely metamophosising there, I assume there's enough in the air for them. I think one survived last year, and one died but wasn't eaten as far as I could tell. I'll see what this year's does.
I'm waiting to see if an expert over on iNaturalist can ID it but there are more than 6000 known species of parasitic wasp in the UK alone. This article is interesting and says that up to 70% of caterpillars can contain parasites like this. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/body-snatchers-eaten-alive.html
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
As I was inspecting my Hibiscus syriacus 'Lavender Chiffon' covered in aphids, I was comforted by the arrival of the---hopefully---hungry ladybirds... plus an unexpected May fly, never seen before in the garden.
Ephemera sp.
Harmonia sp. (?)
Un-identified bumble-bee feasting on pollen of Tradescantia x andersoniana ‘Sweet Kate’
Not the best photo as I had to be quick, and couldn't actually see, lol! First damselfly(?) having a rest on my wheelbarrow, it must have been hot on there!
Just witnessed this lovely sight of eating and copulating ladybugs next to the abundance of aphids on my Hibiscus syriacus. Now waiting for the ensuing hungry larvae.
@Sheps they're early risers then! We don't often see damselflies here, but we have quite a few blue dragonflies in summer, which check out the little pond, that's one reason I put yellow flag in - I took it out last week but I think I'm going to keep a small bit in there, it might encourage the dragonflies to lay if the young have a way of getting out.
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Pretty chrysalis, RIP.
I have cocooned ones appear in my shed, apparently they need moisture, but if they're purposely metamophosising there, I assume there's enough in the air for them. I think one survived last year, and one died but wasn't eaten as far as I could tell. I'll see what this year's does.
Excellent @Papi Jo
It has been on the wing for a few months now, but saying that you would expect it to still look quite fresh.
Don't think it's a Small Red Damsel as the pterostigma look too dark, but hard to tell from the picture, plus it looks more bulky than a SRD.