Unidentified insect - spoonwing?

[stinkybasil]

On several occasions this summer I've spotted a flying insect investigating our garden hedge. I'm not too bad on insect identification but this one's a mystery. The nearest I can find in any of my identification books is an ant lion fly , nemoptera bipennis, but that's a non-UK species. Is there a similar UK species? It moves too quickly to get a clear look and doesn't hang around long enough for me to grab a camera (tho' I will try to get a photo!). Any ideas anyone please?

[Dogghound]

Are you sure it isnt a type of dragonfly?

[stinkybasil]

Absolutely not! Nor is it a butterfly, moth, cranefly, sawfly, bee or ichneumon as far as I can see. I'll try and describe it as best as I can recall. Wings about 1.5 inches long with much shorter rusty brown body. Forewings brownish, hind wings brownish with yellow areas. Theses were long like a spoonwing.(Although it might have been just one pair of wings with long extensions.) Flight was butterfly-like and it fluttered from leaf to leaf quite erratically which made it difficult to observe clearly.

[Dogghound]

Where abouts in the UK are you? Unless you are in the south and coastal or live in East Anglia (again coastal) its highly unlikely to be an ant lion. You may need to catch it and get a photograph if its still around.