Description

Body length 12 to 18mm. A robust black species with a red and black abdomen. The tarsi are pale yellowish and the antennae long and dark. The female has a very short ovipositor.

Habitat

Woodland edge and hedgerows. The adults feed on umbelliferous flowers and the larvae are internal parasites of Swift Moth caterpillars.

Status and distribution

Widespread but thinly dispersed throughout Britain. Poorly recorded in Nottinghamshire.

Best time to see

May to September.