For the very fist time I saw such colorful insect and managed to photograph it. Not too many shots as I was afraid to get too close and spook it. She was sitting on a wooden fence.
All bright and shiny.
Chrysis ignita
Also known as Ruby-tailed wasp or Cuckoo wasps is quite a small insect with a very shiny metallic body. Small doesn't mean harmless. Though this one cannot sting, it has a better way to play with the bigger cousins. It will lay eggs in their nest and leave them there to grow and feed on the host eggs. That would explain why the Cuckoo name, since the birds have similar tactics.
It can be found all over Europe, though they do prefer warmer and drier areas. I don't recall seeing them in Poland (this one was shot in Portugal), though I might have not noticed them due to their small size. They will of course be found where their hosts live as they need their nests to lay eggs in, preferably mason bees.
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Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.