GROUND BEETLE & SPIDER-HUNTING WASP

Its my last day off before going "solo" at the EA, so I thought I'd clear the pile of rubble, roots and rubbish that was pretending to be a huge 'compost heap' (of sorts) in the garden.


Whilst shifting a hole heap of earth, I noticed a metallic green Ground Beetle, (Harpalus affinis) scuttling across the soil. Very common everywhere in the UK apart from Scotland, where I think they are totally absent, the male is either coloured metallic green (most commonly) or bronze or blue, with reddish legs. The female is a dull black colour. Their behaviour is somewhat rare in beetles as they are diurnal.

I also noticed, (for the second time), a Spider-Eating Wasp, quartering very low over my (still bare) wild-flower meadow plot.
Tiny wasps, these, but not rare, and coloured black and red in the main. They are solitary wasps, miners, and paralyse a spider, dragging it back into a tiny burrow for their egg to feed on.
I haven't seen that many spiders whilst working in the garden, so this wasp has got its work cut out!