Tachytes panzer, Dufour 1841 Body length 10-15 mm
Tachytes is a genus of predatory solitary wasps, comprising around 300 species.[
Season… Mid May to mid September.
Tachytes Panzer mainly Preys on grasshoppers. The female wasp catches prey and paralyses it with her sting. The sting of a female Digger wasp is not used as a defensive mechanism but only to paralyse her prey when she is collecting food for her young. The prey is taken to a premade burrow which can be up to 30-40 cm long, it is then sealed with her egg. When the egg hatches the developing wasp larva consumes the prey stored for it in the nest.
Habitat…Sandy areas where they prey on grasshoppers. Can often be seen nectaring on flowers.
In some of the images below, I believe to be a female Tachytes Panzer nectaring on The Wild Flower Thistle (Eryngium Campestre).