White-Footed Braconid Wasp

Ichneumon and Braconid wasps can be rather frustrating insects to identify.  First of all they tend to be very active and rarely stand still long enough for you to get a good photograph of them.  Secondly, there are so many species of them, several thousand in the UK alone, that it can be difficult to know where to start.  However, this morning, when I saw the white feet on the wasp in the above photo, I thought I might be in with a chance.  A search for "White footed ichneumon" on Google lead me eventually to the Braconidae page at Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2003 onwards. British insects. Version: 31st May 2009. http://delta-intkey.com, and this illustration of Zeles albiditarsus (also known as Zemiotes albiditarsus) in particular.  The match seems pretty good: white 'feet', 'spurs' on the 'ankles', red on the right parts of the abdomen.  I'll take this as a tentative identification.

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-06-07.

Green Oak Tortrix Moth

A green oak tortrix moth (Tortrix viridana, order Lepidoptera, family Tortricidae).

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-06-04.

Fat-Legged Beetle

A male Oedemera nobilis (order Coleoptera, family Oedemeridae) on a meadow cranesbill flower (Geranium pratense).  In these beetles it is only the males that have fat legs; the females' legs are normal thickness.  The narrow elytra (wing covers) that don't quite fit together are characteristic of this species (both male and female).

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-6-04.

Nettle-Tap Moth

I have tentatively identified this as a nettle-tap moth (Anthophila fabriciana).  Most of the photos of this species available on the web have them more grey and less reddish-brown than the above one, but the pattern of light and dark patches seem to match pretty well.

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-06-04.

Update on Fri 2009-07-24 by Tristram Brelstaff

I spent quite a while trying to identify the following moth before I realized that it is just a nettle tap moth with more subdued colours!

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-29.

Green Sawfly

Another sawfly, this time probably Rhogogaster viridis (another out-of-focus photo shows the characteristic green pterostigma more clearly).  In this species the pterostigma and leading edge of the wing are green, whereas those in Tenthredo mesomelas (shown here) are black.

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-06-04.