Can anyone tell me what insect this is?

Question

This insect has a chaotic flight pattern. It is very small and I found it hidden in the soil of a flower pot. Is this a plant pest?

Answer 1

Parastic wasps. If you've ever heard of ladybugs and the benefit they provide to the overall garden's heath then you shouldn't be alarmed for these guys here also make the list. Infact they're actually very much valued by farmers who buy these in numbers for pest control. Though they dont eat their hosts, intead they'd lay their eggs inside them which inevitably kills the host as the larva hatches and eats the host from within. If you have an aphid problem, let these guys do the extermination for you.

Answer 2

Kind of hard to tell...might be a gnat. They live off of fungus in the soil when you water the houseplants too much. A solution of neem oil will kill them....if that's what you're getting at.