Fatal Fly

The Dianthus deltoides, that I bought because I knew that I wouldn't be able to find any wild Maiden's Blush for my personal coronation invitation challenge, has just come into flower. The wild flower is similar but two colours of pink. The tiny fly that settled on it has a very spiky abdomen so I guessed that it is a Tachinid. I think it might be Phania funesta. Evidently funesta means fatal. It is thought that these flies are parasites of shieldbugs.

When I went to fill up the birds' water dish I found a male holly blue butterfly floating in it and another flitting about. I'm guessing they had aerial combat and one ditched. I lifted it carefully out and let it crawl onto my hand in the sunshine. After a few moments drying its wings out it took off! Hooray! :) (Extras)