help to identify this insect...please!

[ratinahat]

Last week I found a brown pupa in the soil in garden. The insect that hatched from it was about 25-30mm long, with a slender black body, 2 pairs of wings, black and white, slightly hairy legs, black antennae and a very distinctive white spot on the back of the thorax. I've been unable to upload photo of it and have absolutely no idea what it is.Any suggestions as to what it could be or how I can find out as it is drivibg myself and my class of infants nuts not knowing! thanks

[Geoff F]

Do you have any photos? If so we can guide you through the uploading process.

If not, can you give a different description so we know where to start. 25-30 mm is quite large for most flies, but could it be a moth?

Something like, similar to a bee, moth/butterfly, cranefly, wasp, etc would give a better starting point.

[Matt Smith]

Sounds to me like the ichneumon Amblyjoppa proteus, a parasite of Elephant Hawk moth larvae.