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Small ichneumon fly - 6 mm from top of head to end of body - found dead in a jar which contained an olive leaf. The leaf was folded over and a pupa had been attached in the fold. The insect must have emereged from the pupa. The olive tree was growing on my patio here in Ipswich, East Suffolk, England (Lat/Lng: 52.061168, 1.159024). Leaf found in July, dead insect found in September. I have never worked with such a small insect before and, as you will see in some of the photos, I made a mess of pinning it.

First the insect viewed from above.

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from below

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the face

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antennae

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side view

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side detail

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and from the other side

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close up

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Nice photos Martin but you really need a specialist forum. Try posting to the 'Hymenopterist's Forum' Facebook group or to the HymIS website. Getting to subfamily is difficult ... to species takes expertise that only a handful of people have. Gavin Broad at the NHM is one such person.

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Thanks Chris, I've applied to join HymIS but haven't heard back from them yet. I'll check out the Facebook group.

Best wishes,
Martin

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Gavin Broad's key to subfamilies may help: http://www.brc.ac...ly_key.pdf.

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Thanks John. I've grabbed that key as well. I assume it is for UK species, but with that in mind I'll still try it out on Australian ichneumonids. A bit on knowledge should rub off if nothing else.
Graeme

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Thanks John. I've already tried to use that key but but haven't been able to come to a convincing ID. I've now been accepted to HymIS and started a thread there: http://www.forum....mp;t=11224.

Regards,
Martin

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This is Itoplectis alternans female.