Hunting flies

There was an abundance of flies feeding on mint at Sandy Smith NR, making it an ideal hunting ground for Mellinus arvensis wasps. It was interesting to watch them stalk their prey. This one got away:

but this one wasn't so lucky!

Here's a sequence of stalking,
stinging to paralyse

wrestling

shaking violently

and finally hugging

before eventually flying off with it to her nest.

Photos by Keith Balmer