Tachnid fly - Phania funesta

There are approx. 10,000 Tachnid flies world-wide with more being discovered all the time.

Of these, 270 are found in the UK. Although, being an understudied family, relatively little is known about many of them.

What is known is, they are almost all 'protelean parasitoids' of other insects, meaning they began life as a larvae parasite which consumed an individual host, before emerging as an independent adult.

For further information on this particular species read the accompanying commentary with this video: