Hi Moms! I'm looking for an ID on a bug. My sister was over yesterday and saw a HUGE (said it was about 2-3 inches long) bug. It has wings. It's a very thin bug that looks kinda fuzzy. It has thicker black and yellow stripes. It had what looked like a stinger. That part was brown and about 1.5 cm long! The whole insect was shaped a little like a dragonfly (no segments, no parts more round than others) but DEF not a dragonfly. We have looked at pix of wasps, bees, hornets, flies, yellow jackets, ground hornets, cicada killers... Nothing is what she saw. This is an incredibly mean looking bug. I know there's not a lot I can do about it but I have an almost 3 year old that loves playing outside and if we have a "nest" of these things somewhere I don't want her out until it's resolved. We live in SE Indiana. Any guesses anyone? Nomatter how silly it may seem. She's very definite on the size of the bug, the intensity of it's stinger & it's shape. Thanks!!!!
It seems it was a Horntail Wood Wasp! Thank goodness it wasn't something that will sting! Thanks for all your guesses & responses!
Sure sounds like a large sawfly often called a wood wasp. Pictures and descriptions here: http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/Hymenoptera1.htm
Let us know! If this is your bug, it looks terrifying but does not sting. The long "stinger" is an ovipositor used to lay eggs in deep fissures in tree bark.
"wood wasp"... I bet that is what it was. here's a link to Google images:
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&client=hp&q=wo...
Otherwise, maybe this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoliidae
Could it be a wood boring bee? They are the ones that look like Bumble Bees. They are BIG. Basically they will just fly around though. They are very non-threatening, unless you do something to "get in their face". They are just looking for some wood to bore into. And they'll make a mess of your deck or eaves of your house.
I suggest that you might be able to find out what it is by calling the city. I can't think what the name of the bureau would be but some office in our town puts out insect traps. Call your city information line and they will direct you.
Maybe it's a cross breed -- the offspring two different insects LOL!!! Hope no one gets stung or has an allergy to stings.
