Mottled bee-fly (Thyridanthrax fenestratus) basking on oxeye daisy, Traditional Orchard 13 June 2020. This is a local fly in Surrey (rare nationally), more at home on the heathland where it parasitizes a single host, the nationally scarce heath sand wasp (Ammophila pubescens). According to Baldock and Early (Soldierflies, their allies and Conopidae of Surrey, SWT Atlas, 2015) the eggs are possibly provided with ‘ballast’ via sand grains and laid in flight, aiming for the nesting area or burrow!