Message and a photograph from Ian Bushell
In the picture above is a hoverfly I photographed at the top of Sheep Field in a sunny spot on the edge of the copse.
An entomologist has identified it as a Large Wasp Hoverfly (Chrysotoxum cautum), a new species in the reserve, and I have added it to our species list. It is the largest of the native hoverflies with a wing length of about 13mm. It’s unusual but not particularly rare: found in southern Britain but locally and in small numbers. Its active period is April to September, peaking in May to July. The larvae are thought to feed on root aphids.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 