Tuesday
Aug242021
Hornet
Tue 2021-08-24 
A European hornet, Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae).
Taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK on 2021-08-24.
Entries from August 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021
Tue 2021-08-24 Tuesday
Aug102021
Tachinid Fly
Tue 2021-08-10 
A male Opesia cana (Diptera: Tachinidae). Fairly uncommon in the UK. This is my first.
Identified using the key of Belshaw, 1993 updated by Raper and Smith, 2014.
Specimen taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK on 2021-06-09.
Sunday
Aug082021
Dufouria chalybeata
Sun 2021-08-08 
Dufouria chalybeata (Diptera: Tachinidae) is a small shiny-black Tachinid flies that parisitises the larvae of Cassida sp beetles. See here for photos I took of one attacking its host back in 2011.
Belshaw, 1993 gives for them: "Flight period: early June to early July (at least 50 records). 1 generation per year".
The above diagram shows the relative number of specimens I have collected each month since 2014. The flight period has quite clearly moved forward a month and a second generation has appeared in October and November.
