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Bev Wigney | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Wasp, Hornets & Sawflies

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Wasp, Hornets & Sawflies

The following is a gallery of wasp, hornet and sawfly photos taken over the past few years. If you're interested in seeing my most recent photos, writing or other work, please visit my nature blog, Burning Silo.

PLEASE NOTE!! I DO NOT GIVE ADVICE ON KILLING INSECTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get a lot of questions from people asking if I can identify various hornets and bees. It's pretty much impossible for me to identify insects without good photos, and it takes time to do an ID. Also, the species in one area of the country are different than those in another. I live in Canada, so I don't really know what insects someone in Texas or South Carolina, or California might see. Anyhow, if you are trying to identify an insect, you can look through my galleries, or read through the many descriptions of insects in questions below to see what I've written in reply. These days, I'm pretty busy, so I just don't have time to reply individually to your questions. One last tip -- I get A LOT of questions about a kind of large wasp called a Cicada Killer that makes holes in the ground. If you've seen something like that, try doing a Google image search of Cicada Killer and that might be what you've seen.

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Great Black Wasp -- Sphex pennsylvanicus	Great Black Wasp -- Sphex pennsylvanicus	Megarhyssa macrurus female. - 1 -- inspecting tree looking for place to deposit eggs	Megarhyssa macrurus female. - 2 -- inspecting tree looking for place to deposit eggs	Megarhyssa macrurus female. - 3 -- depositing eggs into willow tree
Pelecinid polyturator	Arge coccinea (Fabricius) (?) larva feeding on sumac	Arge coccinea (Fabricius) - Argidae.	Sawfly larvae on Red oak leaf - 1	Sawfly larvae on Red oak leaf - 2
Sawfly cocoon (hatched out)	ant?	whatzit-2.jpg	Sphecidae: Ammophila spp. (?) -- Thread-waisted wasp	red ichneumon -- no I.D.
Ichneumon (giant black)	Paper wasp - (Polistes fuscatus?) - 1	Paper wasp - (Polistes fuscatus?) - 2	small Male mason wasp (hooked antennae), probably Euodynerus sp. on goldenrod at Elphin road (no ID)	Beewolf - probably Philanthus lepidus - male
Bald-faced hornet -- Dolichovespula maculata	Bald-faced hornet -- Dolichovespula maculata	Paper wasp - (Polistes fuscatus?) - 3	Arge ochropa (Gmelin) (Argidae) larvae -- a species of Sawfly -- on rose leaf	no I.D.
Winged ants, female left, male right, probably Formica sp.	Mating pair of ants, male below, female above, probably Formica sp.	Winged female (queen) ant, probably Formica sp.	Winged female (queen) ant, probably Formica sp.	Mason wasp, probably Symmorphus sp.
Mason wasp, probably Symmorphus sp., family Vespidae (subfamily Eumeninae)	Ichneumon -- probably a male Arotes sp	Ichneumon -- probably a male Arotes sp	Mason wasp -- (probably a species of Ancistrocerus)	Sandhills Hornet -- Vespula arenaria -- male
Tenthredo basilaris Say - Tenthredinidae - sawfly	Mason wasp, probably Ancistrocerus antilope	A worker "blackjacket" -- Vespula consobrina	Arge coccinea (Argidae) sawfly - view 1	Arge coccinea (Argidae) sawfly - view 2
Arge coccinea (Fabricius) (Argidae) sawfly - view 3	Willow leaf galls of Pontania sp. - Tenthredinidae sawflly	Vespa crabro (European Hornet) killing a honeybee	Vespa crabro (European Hornet) killing a honeybee	Arge coccinea (Fabricius) - Argidae
Arge humeralis (Beauvois) - Argidae. A male. Larvae feed on poison ivy.	Arge humeralis (Beauvois) - Argidae A male.	a "bee wolf" wasp in the genus Philanthus, family Sphecidae.	wasp-type-1.jpg	Arge ochropa -- sawfly ovipositing into cuts made in rose stem

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comment |

Bev Wigney		04-Sep-2011 05:36
To everyone who has asked for IDs for wasps. If you have photos, the best thing to do is to post them in the gallery for unidentified insects at BugGuide.com. Interested members can usually identify your insects quite quickly. Thanks, bev

Bev Wigney		05-Jul-2011 11:48
Diane, you may have seen an ichneumon wasp of some type, laying its eggs by depositing them into the tree. They have an ovipositor that can poke into the wood and then the leave eggs where they have found other insects that are feeding on the tree. Their larvae will feed on those insects, so the ichneumon would not be killing your tree, but helping it by laying its eggs in the wood. That said, most insects that feed on wood are opportunistic and attack trees that already have a problem - are diseased, drought- stressed, etc... so the tree may have some problem that is causing the leaf drop and now has insects too.

Bev Wigney		14-Jun-2011 03:32
It's probably and Ichneumond d some kind.

Bev Wigney		14-Jun-2011 03:32
It's probably and Ichneumond d some kind.

Bev Wigney		19-Apr-2011 00:20
Are you sure it's not one of the hummingbird moths - they look like a bee when flying. I don't know where you live, but maybe it's a White-lined Sphinx moth (look up a photo of one). They can hover and make a humming sound. They are completely harmless as they are just moths.

Christi		24-Jul-2010 04:18
I live in south western Idaho and we have these huge bees that have been hanging around, especially when there is water on the ground, they cluster, and they fly really fast. We've seen a few on the ground too that look like they are dying. From what I can tell they look like European hornets but they shouldnt be this far west. They arent aggressive at all, thank goodness!

Ryan		22-Jul-2010 02:22
Took my daughter fishing here in Ohio. Didn't notice any active insects around us. Evening began to set in and started to see a what look-liked to be a wasp or something flying around close to the ground. I watched it for a bit. Pop in and out several times, then flying around us. It had an orange head and body, with black and white stripes on it's abdomen. 2-3 inches long and it's around an 1 1/4 in diameter. It seemed to be a solitary insect, but there were many flying along the dirt bank. Any help would be great......

Ramona		16-Jul-2010 15:17
two days ago I saw in front of me with a screen between us a ? hornet? with the shape of a yellow jacket except he had three white stripes on his lower body. It measured over 3 1/2 inches long and extremely agressive. Kept trying to get at me through the screen crashing into it over and over. Very scary looking thing and behavior. I finally went into the house not to continue to agitate it. Does anyone know what that could have been?

snapn		11-Jul-2010 14:22
yes i found a odd wasp i took as a spider killing wasp it had a red body and bright deep blue wings it was dragging what i thought was a wolf spider i took shoots of it with my phone but my girl kept texting me so they are bad but you can mack out the wasps color and that it did have a spider i couldn't find any info on it and thought someone here knew thank you

Guest		11-Jul-2010 06:34
I seen the same wasp or hornet as the person in Wisconsin. Red body with the last segment black. Thick front arms. It was digging a hole in the ground. Scared me. Never seen anything like it . What is it? Is it dangerous?~in Texas

Rich		11-Jul-2010 04:46
To the guest in Pennsylvania the bee you saw digging in the sand in a Sand Digger Wasp. A beneficail insect which rarely stings but I bet you can get it to sting if you started waving your hands frantically. Otherwise they normally leave people alone.

Susan Cutler		09-Jul-2010 08:43
i saw a black and orange striped wasp but 2 times bigger than a wasp the stinger is at least half an inch long and im scared i have never seen its kind before and cant imagin how big the sting would be and how many times it could sting

Guest		08-Jul-2010 17:34
I live in Fairchance Pennsylvania and i had found a bee digging a hole in my cousins sand box and it was orange and black in color does anyone know what kiind of bee/wasp/insect this was?

rhian evans		23-Jun-2010 19:10
i live in wales uk,today i saw an oddd looking bug top half of it was black with a orange dot on his head,bottom was black and see through strips.it was hovering and going for anything that got in it path,i have never seen anything like this before please help!!!

Guest		20-Jun-2010 03:41
I live in Wisconsin, I found an unusual looking wasp? It was wasp shape red body with black last segment, black wings about 2 inches long digging a large hole. It flies at least 15 feet high. I didn't notice a stinger. I have never seen one here before. Wings were similar in color to the Great black wasp. body colors almost like the ant but with massive front arms. carried the dirt out and pushed it away from the hole, the direction it came from. It isn't native to the area! I post it not only because it's weird but to give alert to any who care. Strange things are here!

chris		08-Jun-2010 01:19
while in our hot tub in sarasota Fl. we saw 2 blue bodied bees with orange wings. they were taking nector from flowers. they were not wasps and I have yet to find what they are on the internet.... any help would e appreciated...

Vicki Newton		07-Jun-2010 15:48
Yesterday I was pruning an azalea when I felt a sting. I couldn't get my hand out of the way quick enough and I was stung multiple times on my left hand and arm. The insects were not very large, less than an inch and half a gazillion came flying out of the bush at me. I was able to get away without more damage but had to go back for my garden tool. The insects seemed to have a metallic bluish/silver color and shaped more like a fly than a wasp or hornet. I live in SC and have never seen this before. Can anyone help identify these nasty little things? Today my hand and upper arm are swollen, red, painfully itchy (which is not much better than the sting).

Vicki Newton		07-Jun-2010 15:48
Yesterday I was pruning an azalea when I felt a sting. I couldn't get my hand out of the way quick enough and I was stung multiple times on my left hand and arm. The insects were not very large, less than an inch and half a gazillion came flying out of the bush at me. I was able to get away without more damage but had to go back for my garden tool. The insects seemed to have a metallic bluish/silver color and shaped more like a fly than a wasp or hornet. I live in SC and have never seen this before. Can anyone help identify these nasty little things? Today my hand and upper arm are swollen, red, painfully itchy (which is not much better than the sting).

maggie		28-May-2010 17:58
I'm in canada and just this year we have found ourselves with a large wasp that is black in colour and the back park is a dark blue,i seem to not be able to find any information on its species or a photo to help with what we can do to control the situation nor how harmful etc.any1 with any information please help,thank you!!

Jonah		16-May-2010 03:04
Welll hate to be a downer but im doing a project for my biology clas and i have a black waspish lookin thing in a jar that MIGHT loook like a Great Blac wasp but only in shape... the wings are the same black as the body and it has a saw like rear. One set of wings, six skiny black legs and as I said its solid black even the wings this is my 23 site and none have helped so if any of yall can that would be awsome. (1 inch wingtip to tipand bout the same head to tail.)oh and if any of yall know off hand of a tan, green winged mothlike insectwith same color tan as an edging on its wings that would be a help to. (1 inch wingspan half, inch head to butt) student in texas

Guest		16-May-2010 02:56
Welll hate to be a downer but im doing a project for my biology clas and i have a black waspish lookin thing in a jar that MIGHT loook like a Great Blac wasp but only in shape... the wings are the same black as the body and it has a saw like rear. One set of wings, six skiny black legs and as I said its solid black even the wings this is my 23 site and none have helped so if any of yall can that would be awsome. student in texas

Angela		04-May-2010 20:44
I have Carpenter bees on my back deck. The Carpenter bees seem to be moving out of their holes because of a new flying THING. This THING has the shape of a hornet but is black with yellow bands. The colors look just like the Carpenter bees. They have taken over the Carpenter bees nests. Could you possibly tell me what they are?

Kay		24-Apr-2010 22:31
I have found a lot of what looks like a bumble bee but is very aggressive. The body is black color, with a yellow part of the head. Then the underneath part of it is Red. I have never seen this type of bee before and I know it is not a wasp. Would you know what it is?

Guest		12-Apr-2010 00:05
Hi i was riding my bike with my uggboots on then i felt a firey feel i looked down and there was a huge black thing in my shoe so i stopped and searched for it i could'nt find it i looked at where i had been stung and there was a bout1cm long stinger and its colours were browm red and yellow love your gallery

Bev Wigney		23-Mar-2010 16:33
Hello Michele, Usually, the people to get in touch with about insects would be the Department of Agriculture - perhaps a state or province agency, but I would think that you would find someone with more expertise as the national level. If the species is non-native, your agriculture department, or Ministry of Natural Resources (if you have a similar agency) would probably be the ones who would be most interested in your find. Good luck!

Michele		23-Mar-2010 01:45
Hi ilive in newsouth wales Australia in a small coastal town called Forster.I have an extreme allergy to wasp and be stings and ive just had a bad summer through december to january feb with an abundance of wasps and weird and wonderful insects in my yard.I kept gettin a large black wasps daily inside my house hanging at windows.Theyd sit for aday or to then appear to die.They have a shiny wings etc.I took them into my local council and wildlife people and pest people who had no ideas anywhere on what they were.Since looking through your website i have matched it and it appears to be the Great Black Wasp orSphex pennsylvaunicus type.Im curious to know What it would be doing in Australia considering its an American wasp?Should i alert someone?

craig		25-Feb-2010 08:08
hi there im from alberta canada and i have this little bastard flying around my room and i swear hes got nine lives cause i smacked him good with a pair of shoes and he just fell down and then flew away its like a little black beetle but it can fly has a single red stripe on its back dunno what it is but i think the lil bugger got me in my sleep i got a fat lump on my neck swelled up pretty good

jeff		18-Nov-2009 16:55
at work about 5 am my co-worker and I were greeted by a wasp/hornet with (it had to be at least 5 inches) a stinger 5-7 inches long. have looked around but can't figure out what it was. It was not flying very fast, or for very long, but it lost us.

Dallas		21-Oct-2009 01:42
YO SIGHT WAS KNO HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I HAVE TO HAVE THIS DONE FOR A PROJECT 'THANKS A-LOT'HAHA NOT!!!

Alanna		06-Oct-2009 02:17
Thank you Jo for your help!

Josh		17-Sep-2009 17:26
I got stung yesterday by a Black w/white striped insect. At first thoght it was a bee, but it kept trying to attack, like a hornet. It's been a llittle over 24 hours, my hand is still swollen but not as bad as it was. What got me?Is this slowly dicipating swelling normal? I need some expert opinion.

erin		17-Sep-2009 16:22
I was recently stung by an insect that was black with a white stripe around the back end. It was furry like a bee. I had quite a reaction to it and would like to find out what it was....... thanks

zainab muslimah		15-Sep-2009 00:29
hi, i wonder if you can help me identify this (what i think is a wasp) its body is long and thin,id say an inch long,and has long strings black and yellow at each side longer than the body and legs.they are everywhere to be seen in north africa,i wondered if they were fig wasps? as we have nothing like them in europe. try as i might, i can not find out anything about them.many thanks.

CARYS JAMES		08-Sep-2009 11:07
There was an insect in my bathroom yesterday that looked like a black wasp with red legs and a long stihg, can you help?

Jo		24-Aug-2009 14:14
Alana - Could this be a carpenter bee? We have a property just west of Hamilton, Ontario, and experienced them for the first time last year. If you google carpenter bees, you can see a photo (if this is what you have, you need to take action because they survive by eating the wood in your deck or building frames that they can access).

Ed Gauthier		23-Aug-2009 23:44
I was wondering about the Black wasp or Hornet that stung me yesterday. My best recollection was that it looked much like the Worker black Jacket that you have pictured. It was surprisingly large and left a 7mm red spot with a noticable center.Do you have any experience with them or being stung by one? I was riding in NNY and it stung before I even knew it was on my bike shorts.

Alanna		20-Aug-2009 15:17
Hello! I was looking for a picture of the wasp/hornet/bee that I have been seeing alot of lately. I live in a town just North of Toronto Ont. and we spend alot of our time outside during the summer (unless its been a crappy summer like it sure has been this year!) Recently, I've knoticed a large bee like creature that enjoys sitting on our deck. However, it doesn't look like any bumble bee I have ever seen. It is bigger then a bumble bee and is black and grey instead of black and yellow. I know a picture would help you out alot in figuring out what this insect is, but since you said you are from Canada, I was wondering if you had seen them around as well. This is the first summer I have ever seen them and I was curious on what they are. Thank you so much for your help!

Paul		18-Aug-2009 14:57
Nial, I have just found the same insect in my garden, it is about one and a 1/2 inches to 2 inches black body yellow over eyes of black body, lower 3rd near sting is striped yellow sting is over 1 inch long and directed upwards, legs and antenna are yellow wings brown. What is it ??

niall		10-Aug-2009 22:51
i have a wasp/hornet caught in a jar... it drowned when i found it but lts coming back to life and twitching its about 2 inches long and its stinger is about 1 inch long after that it has redish legs and black body with ba few yellow stripes wher the stinger comes out and it has big yellow entena als.....Wtas it called?????

Guest		27-Jul-2009 07:50
In case anyone thinks it's a good idea to use a wasp nest as a hat, be sure no more wasps are left in the nest. I made that mistake once and regretted it for many weeks.

Penny		16-Jul-2009 21:07
My name is Penny, I live in the sierra foothills of Fresno County, Cal. This morning, while I was watering my strawberry bed, I saw a wasp/hornet that was approx. 3-4 inches in length, had red at base if wings and the stinger butt was a beautiful irridescent turqouis. I was wondering if you could enlighten me as to the species.

Guest		15-Jul-2009 12:37
Great page! I was cutting our hedghes and ended up getting stung twice. I left the hedge trimmers running when I took off!! When i came back, they were swarmed on the trimmers, trying to attack it and make it stop running. If I didn't leave them running, they could have attacked me!

Sharon		11-Jul-2009 18:59
We have been seeing fairly large wasps with deep red bodies and black wings. They don't exactly look like the red paper wasp as there are no stripes visible. Can someone tell me what they might be?

Bev Wigney		09-Jul-2009 17:28
Guest - you might take a look at an Elm Sawfly to see if that is your insect. They are very large and look sort of like a cross between a hornet and a horsefly. A distinguishing feature is that they have antennae which appeared clubbed at the ends. -- bev

Guest		07-Jul-2009 18:33
I know it's difficult to identify an insect with no picture, however, just wanted to check and see if anyone had any ideas. I have been seeing a lot of what seems to be a mix between a hornet and a horse fly. It's red, yellow, and black in color and has the markings of a hornet where the stripes seem to connect by a line in the middle. It has a smooth body with no fur that I can see and big eyes(like a horsefly) it's pretty big, has yellow legs as well but no stinger that I can see. Thanks for all of your help, just trying to see if I'm dealing w/ a hornet or horsefly.

Lee		04-Jul-2009 18:51
Last year I saw a black wasp(?) and it was filling in some holes 1/8''dia x 1/4'' deep with a white substance. It did a very neat job. It was all black w/a white ring around the upper part of its abdomen. The wasp (?) was 1/2 -3/4'' long, didn't fly much and seemed nonagressive. Today I noticed all of the 6 holes it had filled in (in wood)have been dug out(or ?).

Guest		27-Jun-2009 21:31
def helped us identify our wasp! thank you!

Linda B,		18-Jun-2009 21:38
Hi, I just found what I think is a Giant Ichneumon. However all of the pictures I see of these are brown spotted. This one has the real long tails, but its' body is all black, the head and legs are the golden color. I am in Hastings New York.

ashley hinslock		23-Apr-2009 21:24
i hate just looking at them. there wierd

ashley hinslock		23-Apr-2009 21:24
i hate just looking at them. there wierd

Guest		21-Jan-2009 21:23
please help only yesterday i found a large what wasp appeared all black in colouring it only flies in the day and at night i can hear it boring in my room. my room is made of all wood on the inside. when i saw it it was over by the window so i believe it is attracted to sun light it is large and quite fat. with simlar in shape to the great black wasp and the ancistocerus. it is defidently wasp shape. i live in south australia and belive this may be a new or unidentified species i have been searching for hours and have not found any results like this it is not a spider wasp any comments or advise email me at anticathololism@yahoo.com Bexy

Guest		22-Dec-2008 12:38
Added to my Invertebrate topic. Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work.

Bev Wigney		09-Dec-2008 23:41
Marize - I don't know. This is my nature photo gallery. I never kill insects and don't know anything about it.. You would be better off asking your question on an exterminator website.

Marise Karazim		09-Dec-2008 22:07
I have something that looks like a black wasp, falling from somewhere in my basement they are dormet, slightly moving their wings are pointed and they are about one to one and half inches long. I though they were termites, but they are some kind of wasp. I had the basement and crawl space sprayed and they are still showing up on my basement floor, they land on the floor under the basement window....I have used everything from wasp spray, to exterminators....how do i get rid of them?

twyla		07-Nov-2008 00:39
After viewing the pictures, I'm sure we have yellow jackets. I'm not sure what the difference between wasps, yellow jackets and hornets is but our's don't seem to be particularly aggresive. They fly at us but so far we have not been stung. They crawl into any small crack and are easily hosed out which seems to disable them for a time. We have not found a nest of any kind. They are a problem for us because they hang out around two entrances, thus they do come into the shops. Is there an enviromentally safte way to get rid of them? We run a kennel and don't want to use chemicals. Twyla

Bev Wigney		27-Sep-2008 13:36
Paul & Asha, I wonder if the insect you have seen is actually one of the Giant Ichneumon Wasp (Megarhyssa sp). When they aren't boring and injecting their eggs deep into wood, they do trail a long "stinger" (actually their ovipositor) behind as they fly around. They look a bit scary, but as far as I know, they are not dangerous as they only use this appendage for boring into wood to lay their eggs. There are some photos of them in this gallery, so take a look. These are very large insects and could look quite scary to some people. bev

Phil Millhouse		25-Sep-2008 02:59
Bev, This is in response to Asha's question. I work for the University of Illinois and do archaeology for IDOT in northern Illinois and recently we have been excavating a site near Elgin along the Fox River. Yesterday we saw what I believe Asha was talking about for the Chicago area, what looks like an absolutely enormous wasp with a visible stinger from over six feet away, but upon getting closer the body does not have the narrow waist and bulging abdomin of a wasp, but is indeed thick, flat and striped with yellow and black. My crew has been all over the world and exposed to lots of large and unfriendly bugs...but even so this thing flying around and landing on nearby trees really spooked them...at least as far as appearences it looks quite ferocious...if you hear other sightings or find an identification feel free to let me know. My email is millhous@illinois.edu Phil

Danielle		05-Sep-2008 21:29
PLEASE HELP IDENTIFY...Today I found what looks like the average house fly and honey bee mixed together but it is turquoise in color with a black stinger...

Bev Wigney		27-Aug-2008 22:19
Hi Ted, Yes, indeed there are some wasps that will sting aggressively under certain circumstances. Yellow Jackets can be particularly bad. I've never actually been chased much by insects, but there's always a first time! - bev

Ted		27-Aug-2008 02:04
Bev, I was out doing some Wildlife photography last Saturday evening and was attacked by what I believe to be 5-6 large wasps. I was in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. All I can say is BE CAREFUL! They attacked my head, face and back. I ran with my gear for almost 1/2 mile with no retreat. I ended up falling and hurting my knee. The ODNR thinks that I probably disturbed a nest by accident. I was attempting a close up shot of a great Blue Heron and ZAP! right in the back. What a long 10 minutes that was to endure. I love your site. Thanks.

Bev Wigney		23-Aug-2008 02:22
Asha - I have no idea, but perhaps someone visiting my galleries will know and post a reply. -- bev

Asha		22-Aug-2008 23:08
This summer I've noticed a new type of wasp on the North side of Chicago. The wasp is 3 inches long and has a thick, flat body like a dragonfly. Brown and yellow stripes. It likes trees, flowers, and may also burrow under the ground. Any ideas what type of insect this is? I don't think it's a Cicada Killer.

marguerite		21-Aug-2008 20:26
saw a thing today i have never seen before...i think it is a hornet but the wings are more moth like and stay flat and open when it lands it was yellow and black black tail end no visible stinger but making contact with the surface like it wanted to sting and then to my surprise it shot a liquid stream out of its tail end ...some one said it was a wasp another said hornet ... i think it is an alien insect ( not from around here anyway ) northern illinois... any help ?

ami		19-Aug-2008 20:10
hi my mother in law just brought us a wind chime from greece (made of wood)and all of a sudden this insect pushed a piece of wood out and fell to the floor it is about an inch long with a red top halve and the bottom half is yellow it has red wings with black on the end it has red legs aswell.there was a nest of rthem in this wood.if any one could help me identify this it would be great.thanks

Guest		19-Aug-2008 14:12
Here in PA we have late summer Cicada Killer Wasps do you have any cool photos of those?

John D		12-Aug-2008 02:11
A proven method for killing yellow jackets is to attack after total darkness in the following manner. Take a length of garden hose aprox. 3 feet long, fill one end with 2 to 3 inches of seven garden dust. Hold the seven filled end directly over the nest enterance and blow hard into the tube. Repeat two or three times, more if the nest is very large. Next morning they will be gone.

Guest		12-Aug-2008 00:13
I have some wasp or hornets that have been around here for years. They or over 2 inches long. They kill locust. You will here a locust screem and fall to the ground and one of these was will drag it into a hole. They look like a gigantic yellow Jacket with huge mandibles. The closet thing I can find on the internet is the asian hornet. I live in Achille OK. 74720 I think I well preserve the one I had to kill today that got into the house. Thanks

Cristy		28-Jul-2008 01:13
I was wondering if you know what kind of wasp or hornet I have. They are around 2 inches a matalic blue with black wings. We have paper wasps and were wondering if they origanated from them of if they are all together a different type. Thank you I hope you can help.

Katlin		19-Jul-2008 16:50
After a bit more searching ours appear to be "Great Golden Digger Wasps" which I am somewhat happy to hear since they are solitary, not terribly aggressive, and beneficial in some ways. Ours will still probably have to be removed because they are in our primary walkway. Hope that helps you guys.

Katlin		19-Jul-2008 16:33
Russ, Bev, We've seen the orange ground waspy-things in our yard too, just recently. They do not look like cicada killers, not having the same stripey pattern or as long of a back end (sorry I don't know the technical terms!). The holes and wasps arrived over the course of a few days. It's a place where we frequently walk, though we've stopped because these giant flyers come out when we do. They certainly have stingers and we don't want to get stung! Ours are mostly orange, with yellow on the upper body and head and some black on the ends of the wings, head, and by the stinger. Long orange legs. I'm concerned about the rapidity which they arrived, and about their size and numbers. We have about 15 holes now in a 3x4 ft area. They don't seems terribly aggressive (they don't chase you if you look at them.) But still, I'd like to know what we're dealing with. We live in Maine. Any help would be appreciated.

Bev Wigney		17-Jul-2008 15:03
Russ - Those could be one of species of wasps that is known as a Cicada Killer. There are several species in different areas and they look different. I don't know which ones you would have in your area. Anyhow, just look up Cicada Killer on the web and you'll probably find something that matches what you're seeing. -- bev

Kate		16-Jul-2008 01:00
Hi, I'm just glad I found your site, I have a poplar tree that is swarming with life! Differnt kinds of bees, wasps, hornets, moths, ladybugs...etc! I identified the bald-faced hornet here, thanks! Kate

russ chlysta		15-Jul-2008 03:19
hi we recently had large hornet looking bugs they fly and dug little round holes in the ground and were all 1 to 2 inches long and not aggresive.I caught one and it really looked like a hornet,they all had orange and black bodies,any help in identifying these.

jennifer		13-Jul-2008 17:22
Hello, I don't know if you still answer questions about wasps/hornets, but we need help! :) My husband and young son were stung repeatedly by large ground wasps or hornets after (we assume) they drove over their nest with a lawn tractor. They were very large, dark colored (probably black) and had a phosphorescent green glow on their underside in the late twilight. They were very aggressive and followed them all the way back to the house, stinging and leaving large swollen "ouches" that bled. My son got pretty sick afterwards. We live in Texas, outside of Houston. Any help would be appreciated!

Guest		12-Jul-2008 17:54
We have some type of hornet about 1.5 inches - 2.0 inches long with black and yellow stripes that loves to dig holes in and around our flower beds. It burrows its way underground and then backs out the dirt with its tail. Any help on identifying this hornet and whether or not it would attack would be beneficial. Thanks!

Nehmherinah		09-Jul-2008 06:36
I saw a huge wasp, a few inches long, with bright yellow and black stripes and yellow legs and brownish wings. I live in Maryland and it was in the house.

Alicia Morris		17-Jun-2008 03:32
I killed a HUGE wasp? I suppose it was. It is around 2 to 2 1/2 in. with huge wings and it is black with bluish colored spots on it. It was putting up it's stinger as I was swatting it so my grandkids wouldn't get stung. Also had pretty long legs. Does anyone know what this would be? I live in Texas Panhandle if it helps. Thanks! Where can I take it to have it looked at? I saved it in a baggie!

Christine		17-Jun-2008 00:55
I had black wasps with reddish brown transparent wings getting in my bedroom-really don't have other colors/markings. Do you know what they maybe?

Shel		21-Apr-2008 21:14
I really don't know much of anything about insects, so I have been wondering- What is the difference between a red wasp and a hornet?

Bev Wigney		25-Mar-2008 10:58
Hi Barbara - Are the divisions between the chambers made of round discs of cut leaf? If so, it could have been made by a leaf-cutter bee of some kind. There are a lot of insects that make egg cases or that pupate inside rolled leaves, to it's difficult to say just what it might be. I'm in Canada, so no doubt, you would have different insects down your way.

A.T		06-Oct-2007 20:56
I recently went to north New Jersey and I saw a hornet wasp lie thing and it was just flying around, it was all black except had two stripes on it about 3 cm from where the stinger was. I saw another one of these when I was at my house on my deck and I really want at least a guess on what it was. I never got a photo.

Bev Wigney		28-Sep-2007 21:08
Dave - I don't know what these might be. If I saw a photo of one, I might have a better idea. The largest wasps of all tend to be Cicada Killers. I've posted links to some pages about those down below if you take a look through them. I believe there are some species that may be marked similar to the wasp you describe.

Dave		28-Sep-2007 02:48
I've seen giant hornets in the Catskills that dwarf anything else I've found on the web. These are mostly black but with a few small orange markings near the head. They are extremely aggressive and have a low hum that would command respect from anyone who comes near. I got up close once to one that came into our shed. It had a huge lower body, at least two thirds of the overall length. I'd estimate these go at least two and a half inches long. They are swift fliers and would be tough to catch. After seeing this hornet the first time, I wondered if there is such a thing as a renegade queen that was dumped by the hive? We have seen this giant in two consecutive years. Perhaps the mild recent winters allow certain species to live into the next year and grow much larger than in the past.Do you have a clue?

Bev Wigney		08-Sep-2007 14:17
Toni - WIthout a photo, it's very difficult to guess. The mention of the proboscis is interesting, but I can't really picture the insect from your description. Sorry!

Toni Fenwick		08-Sep-2007 13:53
An insect landed on our table it is about 11/4" long striped rear abdomen golden transparent wings a short black "tail" and a proboscic like spike coming back from under its abdomen it is about 1/2" long. Difficult to describe can you help. I am in the UK

Paul H		31-Aug-2007 02:43
Bev, I believe I have a colony of vespa crabro in my yard. They look just like your pictures. I'm in rural Maryland and they are nested in a hollow tree about 3 feet off the ground. The tree is close enough to the house to be of concern. What's interesting is that these insects fly at night. In fact, if I turn the garage light on and open the doors, there will be a dozen or so beating against the light bulbs in no time. The garage is 150 feet from the nest. I say live and let live but this might pose some danger to me and my family. How/when can I spray if they are flying 24 hours a day?

John C L		30-Aug-2007 12:19
I witnessed wasps laying egges on a weeping willow in the garden. should I treat the tree with a pestaside.

Bev Wigney		28-Aug-2007 00:59
Paige - I don't really now how you can get rid of the wasps. If you read through some of the answers I've given to several other people in the past (just look down through the comments), you'll see some links to pages that give some ideas for getting rid of various kinds of wasps. Also, check the links in the next answer that I am writing to Danica. - Danica - I'm guessing that your wasps might be the same ones that I've written about before. Here is a reply that I gave to someone else further down in these comments: Andrea - It sounds like the insects that you are seeing might be what are known as Cicada Killers, probably Sphecius speciosus. Here's a link to Professor Chuck Holliday's Cicada Killer page with general info and photos:http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/cicadakillerhome.html And here is a link to another page on the same website that gives info on how to deal with these wasps. http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/CKcontrol.html - Jethro - I don't know what the first insect is which you have described -- I'd really need to see a photo. The second wasp might be a Black Jacket wasp, which is very similar to a Yellow Jacket, only mostly black with some white markings. Otherwise, I'd say it might be a Bald-faced Hornet, which is also black with white markings. Black Jackets make paper nests and they will aggressively attempt to defend their nest.

Jethro		27-Aug-2007 19:07
WE FOUND TWO WASPS ONE IS HUGE LOOKS LIKE TO BE ABOUT 2.5 CM LONG 7MM THICK BLACK AND YELLOW APPERS TO BE MISSING A HEAD.THE SECOND ONE IT ABOUT 1.5 CM LONG AND 4MM WIDE LOOKS LIKE A YELLOW YACKET BUT IS BLACK WITH WHITE STRIPES. IT SEEMS TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE AND LOOKS LIKE IT CANT FLY. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THEY ARE AND IF THERE NATIVE OF ITS NORMEL TO BEE IN MINNESOTA IN LATE AUGEST.

Danica Sangnier		26-Aug-2007 20:29
I recently found these very large bees or wasps... not sure which one... it's about 1 and a half inches long with yellow "stripes" on it and they burrow in the ground. if you have any clue what they might be please let me know.

Paige		26-Aug-2007 18:11
Thank you so much for sharing your photos. Now I know what is controlling my deck. Yes, we did have the torenticial rains, some left over from Erin, in Michigan. But my driveway is already a host for bald faced hornet nest, the garage some other jellow jacket type and I was stung two days ago on the back. Which kind I will probably never know. Now how do I get rid of the Great Black Wasps that have taken over my deck? HELP!

Bev Wigney		24-Aug-2007 15:51
Spazstik2 - Yes, does seem like fairly unusual behaviour. Recently, a friend told me of being attacked by Blackjacket wasps after he accidentally disturbed some that were living in a hole beside a fallen tree. Apparently, they were quite aggressive and chased him and he got stung 2 or 3 times. I'm not sure why they would be acting as you describe, but perhaps it does have to do with the rain, etc... I've heard that this is more of a "forest" species of wasps and that people in the logging industry occasionally have bad encounters with them.

Spaztik2		23-Aug-2007 19:38
With all the rain we've recently received in Northern Illinois, I've seen something twice recently I found unusual. We have a in-ground pool in the back yard. The deck has two halogen flood lights. When turned on during the pre-dawn, 5:30am local time) hour, thes elights are promptly swarmed by what appears to be Vespula consobrina (Blackjacket). The behavior is very agressive. On one of the occassions, I did not realize they were there. One landed on my arm and bit immediately. One of these lights is just outside a sliding glass door. Turning the floor lights off, they slam themselves into the sliding door, due to the indoor light I assume. They only seem to be out after a heavy rain. Perhaps an in-ground nest getting flooded. I am surprised by two things. First, that they are even out while it is still pitch black outside. I had no idea wasp-like insects were active at night. Second, how agressive they are. Their behavior is flat out vicious. I had never heard of the Blackjacket before this encounter. I'm not finding a lot on-line that describes this insects behavior. Thanks for a great website. As you may already recognize, I am not well versed in this topic.

Bev Wigney		11-Aug-2007 12:42
Ken - How about putting a clear glass bowl over its nest at night when it is (presumably) inside. Then photograph during daylight when it comes out but is contained within the bowl. I sometimes capture wasps that have come indoors and are on our windows by putting a glass over them and then sliding cardboard in between the glass and the window. I've shot fairly good photos through the sides of bottles, glasses, etc... so it would probably work if you decide you want to try. If your intention is to kill the wasp, I've heard that some people kills Yellowjacket wasps by leaving an inverted bowl over the nest for a couple of days in hot weather. Again, I don't usually kill anything around my place. The last time we had a Yellowjacket nest in our garden, we just stayed away from it and eventually a skunk dug it up and put a hasty end to the wasps.

Ken		11-Aug-2007 04:47
Bev - I've seen two references (but no images) that seem to describe the hornet (?) that we've been noticing around our front yard: about three inches in length, mostly black with a yellow and black striped hind section. I've compared this to the large asian and cicada killer images I have found on google, but they really don't match up. This 'beast' is smooth and shiny & fairly aggressive, charging at anyone or anything that comes too close. We found it's nest by the front stoop: a hole in the dirt nearly 1/2" in diameter, with a good 4" clearing at the opening of the whole (obviously cleared by the insect). I've been trying to get an picture for you but I can't get close enough to take a viable snapshot without being charged. Any ideas?? (Northern Virginia)

Bev Wigney		05-Aug-2007 17:33
This is an answer to the last few questions posted to me on this gallery: Paul - The best thing to do is to upload as many photos as you have into a gallery on Flickr and then post the URL here on my blog. Not only would I see the photos, but also some of the others who are interested in insects on Flickr (there are a lot of people there who will actually ID insect photos if they know the species. - Shannon - I would pretty much need to see a good photo of the insect in order to be able to ID it. Even then, as I'm not from the NC area (I live in Canada), the species can be quite different. Keep in mind that there are hundreds of species of bees, wasps, sawflies, and ichneumon wasps, so it's difficult to identify most to species. - Max - I don't think that behaviour is particularly unusual. It seems that there's always a certain amount of antagonism that goes on between wasps and hummingbirds. I haven't actually seen it with Cicada Killer wasps, but I've often seen it with Yellow Jacket Wasps which can be very aggressive toward hummingbirds. I don't know what you could do except perhaps move any hummingbird feeders to a part of the yard that seems to be less frequented by the wasps.

Max Trapp		05-Aug-2007 15:52
Hi Bev, great website! We have what I believe to be Cicada-Killer Wasps that have set up home about one foot away from the bottom step comming down from our porch. They seem to put up with our traffic, although it does make us a little nervous when several are swirling around. Our main concern, however, is that they actually chase and frighten away our Hummingbirds as they are attempting to feed at the feeder we have set up. Is this normal behavior? Any thoughts? Thanks, Max

Shannon		05-Aug-2007 13:35
Hi there...I'm hoping someone can help me identify the wasp I saw. It's all black including the wings except for one band of bright orange on it's body. Any clue as to what kind of wasp this is? I live in NC. Thanks!!!

paul sofia		02-Aug-2007 20:51
hi bev, I live in North Carolina and have some flowering ground cover which attracts a certain species that I cannot identify it may be a bee it has two sets of wings one small one big black with yellow head and black furry torso if you can send me email address i will send photo. Thanks, Paul

Guest		30-Jul-2007 22:52
thanks for the reply. im going to try to get a picture of one of them. they are seemingly fighting or beating up the honey bees from the tree in the front yard, literally falling with them to the ground and then flying back up into the tree. the honey bees seem dazed at first sort of buzzing on their back then after a few seconds they fly away - not back to the tree. i am assuming there would be a colony or hive because there were at least three of the large black wasp/hornets in the tree. i did get a closer look at one that had landed on the side of the cedar deck, which is when i noticed the white band around the bottom section of the body. i am definitly going to try and get a picture because i know it is difficult to be sure without an example to go by. i looked at the pictures of both of the species you mentioned and neither looked like the one i saw. hopefully, i will be back in here with a picture for you.

Bev Wigney		30-Jul-2007 12:24
baileyhaden - Without a photo, this can only be a guess at best. Are there many of these insects and do they seem to have a colony? Are there any other markings other than the single white stripe that you've mentioned. I can think of a few wasps that do hunt for prey - There's the Blackjacket Wast (Vespula consobrina) and also the Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata). The only other, but it doesn't fit your description, is the European Hornet (Vespa crabro) - I've seen them killing honeybees. There are photos of all three of these species in this gallery.

Guest		29-Jul-2007 23:58
sorry - forgot to mention that it is approx. an inch a quarter long. seems to be aggressive towards the honey bees.

baileyhaden		29-Jul-2007 23:55
hi there, just wondering if anyone can give me some information on a hornet (?) that has shown up. it is black in colour, has a two part body with a white stripe around the top of the bottom portion of the body. we are in located just outside Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Guest		29-Jul-2007 20:56
Hi again Bev - it's DK Stanton. Thank you for your help on the cicada killer wasp. I went to the web site you suggested and sent them the digital photo I took. Appreciate your web site and the help you gave! DK Stanton

Bev Wigney		29-Jul-2007 15:27
Rosemary - I would think that the insect you saw was probably a Hummingbird Clearwing moth or one of a couple of other closely related clearwing moths. They are often mistaken for either large bees or hummingbirds. And no, they don't bite or sting. They're very beautiful and always a treat to see. Here's a link to a page with more photos and info about them. http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/hthysbe.htm

Rosemary		29-Jul-2007 14:50
Hi Bev, I live in Northern Virginia and saw the oddest insect and have no idea what it is. The body looks like a hummingbird but the tail is red and black striped and fan shaped. It had 2 thick green antenae on its head. I didn't notice the wings. It was flying around my flowers. I don't know whether it is a "bee" type that will sting or a butterfly. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Char Mason		27-Jul-2007 15:42
Bev, Thank you for your most informative and humane site. There is an infestation of Cicada Killers in a garden I manage. The owner was about to destroy them even though they did not seem to mind my being there with them. I witnessed one as it took down a cicada, so, when I found your site, I knew right away what it was. We had been worried about the predicted swarm of cicadas doing damage to our many trees. Now, we will let nature take her course. Thanks again, Char Mason

Bev Wigney		26-Jul-2007 11:44
PM reply \| hide \| delete 26-Jul-2007 11:35 quenna - As the wasp you describe is in Hawaii, I can't be sure of its identity (I live in Canada, so am not familiar with what you might have there). However, the description and behaviour sound like that of a mud dauber (Sceliphron caementarium). They create tubular nests out of little bits of mud that they cement together. They lay an egg in the tube, place prey which they have paralyzed with a sting - usually a spider - inside the tube, and cement the comparment shut, and then repeat this process. They are usually pretty solitary, so they would not be seen with a bunch of other wasps in a "hive". They aren't interested in humans, so are unlikely to bother you. If you leave them alone, they'll probably just about their own business. Here's a link to photos of mud daubers on Bugguide.net - there are some variations in markings within this species. Some are mostly black, but some have more yellow - I believe there are regional differences. There are 4 pages with thumbnails, so take a look through them to see if you can find a match (click on thumbnails to see the largest ones). http://bugguide.net/node/view/6610/bgimage If it doesn't look like any of these, I'd pretty much have to see a good photo before I could hazard a guess as to the ID.

quenna		26-Jul-2007 02:37
bev! thank goodness I found your site... there has been a wasp, HUGE (about 2.5-3inches long), completely black with a mid section that looks as if it's just a wire. He's been carrying small objects (rocks or clumps of dirt about 1/2 inch in diameter; substantial twigs) into this nook in our roof. we live on the big island of Hawaii, south of Hilo about 20 miles. I'll try and snap a pic for you but, my GAWD, it's HUGE and very scary looking. any ideas? He seems quite mellow, and dilligent to make his nest. thank you in advance for your help...

Bev Wigney		24-Jul-2007 10:12
DK - It's probably a Cicada Killer -- see my links to pages about Cicada Killers in some of the comments below. This is the insect that I am most asked about. There are a few species in the US. If you go to that link, you'll see photos of a few of them.

DK Stanton		23-Jul-2007 20:17
Hi Bev ! I came across your site while looking for information on an insect that terrified me one day on our deck! While it may not have been very nice, I sprayed with with the handiest can of "something" I could find, and in this case it was hairspray. I took a photo of the dead insect - and, it was about 2" long, a stinger that was about 1/2", a yellow and black striped body from midsection down; yellow feet and antennae, orange head and orange and black marking on upper body. Wings are translucent brown. The "waist" is a solid yellow. Can you help me identify this wasp-oriented insect? Thank you! DK

Bev Wigney		19-Jul-2007 22:41
Alicia - Yes, that's probably a species of Cicada-killer wasp. If you look at this page, there are photos of several species that can be found in various parts of the U.S.. There are other large wasps that kill other insects, but I think these are the only ones that do what you are describing. http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/helpcicadaresearch.html

Alicia		19-Jul-2007 21:31
Hi my name is Alicia I live in Arlington Heights,Illinois. That's about 45 minutes northwest of Chicago. My husband the other day at work saw what he thinks was a wasp about 1 1/2inches long with a orange body and black wings take a cicaida mid flight and pull it into a dirt hole. Now we would like to know what kind of wasp this is.He's been trying to take pictures of it without getting stung. He say's they get pretty defensive.I cant seem to find anything when I google the decription of the wasp besides the tarantula hawk wasp but it say's they're usually in arizona.So if you could help me I'd appreciate it. Thanks!!

Bev Wigney		13-Jul-2007 11:25
Andrea - It sounds like the insects that you are seeing might be what are known as Cicada Killers, probably Sphecius speciosus. Here's a link to Professor Chuck Holliday's Cicada Killer page with general info and photos:http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/cicadakillerhome.html And here is a link to another page on the same website that gives info on how to deal with these wasps. http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/CKcontrol.html

Andrea		13-Jul-2007 00:25
I am not sure who might know but I am wondering about a wasp of some sort at least I think it is a wasp. It pretty much fits the bill of a Great Black wasp as far as size and such. But it is only mostly black and it has some orange on the bottom and the legs are bright orange. It has a thread like waste and it is hard to tell if it has a small stinger or if it is just part of this insect. It is over an inch easily and it has taken over ant holes. it is digging them out wider and deeper, I am unsure of what is happening to the ants. I have tried spraying with wasp spray to no avail. I would have a picture but even after spraying I slowed one down to catch and almost teo days later it is still alive in the pill bottle I placed it in. I am trying to wait until it is no longer alive to try and take a pic. I am in southern MI if that helps. If anyone has any ideas please help. They are taking over the ant holes and yard rather fast and I need to know it they are a threat to my 2 and a half year old and or our cats and dogs.

Bev Wigney		01-Jul-2007 18:46
Warren - I don't know much at all about killing off any kind of insects. I'm usually glad to find just about any insect in my garden or around the farm as I photograph everything that I see. I looked around on the net to see if I could find out anything about digger wasps. I found a blog post about someone who has them in the garden. There are comments from a few people who also have them. They don't sound as though they are a serious problem. http://urbpan.livejournal.com/356702.html I also tried doing a goofle search for info on how to control these and there seems to be info on them on some of the pest management sites, so maybe just read a few of those to see what others are recommending. I don't like pesticides -- we don't use there here at our farm, so I'd probably be looking for a non-chemical solution to the situation, or just let them do their own thing as they do kill other insects that are considered a nuiscance to gardeners.

Warren		01-Jul-2007 14:12
Bev, I am having a heck of a time with what severeal landscapers say are "ground hornet" or digger wasps in the mulch around my home -- but not in the yard. There little mounds are everywhere, and are destroying my mulch. They only seem to dig at night, and only very little evidence of flying during the day. If these are gound hornets, how the heck can I get rid of them. What chemical can I use -- I have tried every Ortho product on the marked for killing wasps. I live in Virginia Beach, VA. about 2 miles from the ocean.

Amy		04-Jun-2007 23:43
I live in the southern part of Colorado, and i got a pretty good look at it seeing as it tried to land on my friends head. But yes it did make a loud buzzzing sound.

Bev Wigney		30-May-2007 03:32
Amy and Susan - What part of the country are you from. I'm from eastern Ontario, and we don't have some of the insects that would be found in the southern U.S. Also, have you had a very good look at these insects, or do they move too quickly. If you haven't had a good, close look, you might actually be seeing what is known as a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. They are quite large and make quite a buzzing sound. They hover around flowers just like a hummingbird or large bee. A lot of people think they are large bees or wasps, but they are actually a moth.

SUSAN		30-May-2007 01:57
I see a couple of people are wondering about the hummingbird size wasp with orange wings. Me, too. What is it???

Amy		28-May-2007 19:10
I have a 2-3in. long whats looks like a hornet, but it has two stingers, and really bright orange wings. Can you tell me what it is? Anyone?

Bev Wigney		24-May-2007 02:51
Hi Dan -- Do you think it was just a bumblebee? Was the body quite large and thick, and did it have fluffy hair all over. At this time of the year, it's the bumblebee queens that are flying, and they can be that large. However, bumblebees aren't usually attracted to lights. If you have a photo, you could put it up somewhere -- perhaps on Flickr, and post the URL here in the comments and I can take a look at it.

Dan		24-May-2007 02:08
Hello, I live near Buffalo, New York. This has been the first warm week of the year with temperatures in the mid to upper 70's and highs near 85. Yesterday at dinner my mom and i noticed a large insect outside out window, it appeared to be a bee. Today we found a huge bee in our house. It was approximently 1.5-2 inches long predominatly yellow with some black stiping. It made a loud humming noise, had outswept wings, and was attrated to light. This is two in two days and I would like to know what it is. I vacummed it up because i figured if I got stung i would be in trouble. Any ideas on the what this thing was would be appreciated.

Bev Wigney		08-Dec-2006 00:26
Hi Araxie, Yes, I do seem to get asked a lot of questions about insects. I try to answer as many as I can, but without photos, it's often difficult to figure out what someone is describing. Even with photos, it can be difficult sometimes! However, I did receive an email from you with a photo of your insect, and was able to ID it for you as a Pigeon Horntail (Tremex columba). For the benefit of others who may run into this insect, here's some more information about this insect: The females have a long ovipositor (the thing that looks sort of like a stinger). They don't sting -- the ovipositor is just for laying eggs under the bark of trees. You can see some examples of the same species if you go to the following webpage and look down the page. The fifth and sixth insects on the page and quite a few more of the photos below are of the same species. They are actually pretty common and the species has a large range in North America. There's a bit of information in some of the replies to questions asked on "What's that bug?" so you will find out mroe there. http://www.whatsthatbug.com//sawflies.html There's also some good info about Pigeon Horntails on this page. It says that the female often dies after laying her eggs, often not removing her ovipositor from the tree and just dying, which may be what happened to the one in your photo based on the account that you've posted with your photo. http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?shapeID=1008&curGroupID=4&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=2 -bev

Araxie Esme		06-Dec-2006 20:47
Oh, that was silly of me... before, I completely missed this box. I'm used to it being somewhere at the bottom of the page. This is a lovely collection of wasp and hornet photos, I've really enjoyed looking at them. I've researched wasp categories (for much want of better word), and have only found a few, perhaps seven in total, but that doesn't seem quite right to me at all... I'm writing to you with a bit of a query. It seems as if you're asked a lot of questions on this or that insect, so sorry if I'm just badgering you further with yet another puzzling description... or something. The story begins with an old hybrid popplar tree we had cut down- almost completely, aside from a stump almost as tall as me (around five and a half feet left of it, more or less). Anyway, we were stripping some of the old bark off of it, my sister and mother were, and suddenly my sister prevents our mom from accidentally putting her hand over this bizarre, prehistoric bug, who totally appeared out of nowhere. His looks were oddly cicada-like, or a bit like a grasshopper with a big, broad back. His eyes were big, sort of like a fly's, and rather unlike most wasps or even most hornets. Quite frankly, the guy looked very little like any other hornet or wasp photo's I've seen on the internet, but as he had a stinger about the size of two millemeters (I swear), I can't think of what else he could be. Do the more seemingly innocent bugs also have stingers like that? We're not entirely sure whether he had just landed on that spot, or whether he was living under all that old, decomposing bark for who knows how long. But ever since I saw him, I've been quite curious as to what exactly he is and where he came from, as I've never seen anything like him. He was also reddish-orange in color. He was hardly moving at the time, as he was at his dying place- later I found him, still sitting there, or... what was left of him. :( But if he'd had all of his life in him... well, watch out! He was also very big, probably around two inches long. An internet friend said that she THOUGHT she'd seen some hornet like that before... but in Florida. Where we saw him, however, was in Southern Wisconsin. Do insects migrate at all? It was Summer, though. So yeah. I'm pretty stumped. No matter what I look for in the search engine, I haven't been able to find him, which leads me to believe it likely that the category I've put him in isn't correct. Maybe he's a... I dunno, a bee? He'd be a pretty big bee. I also have a photograph I took of him if you're interested, which does pretty well to describe him although it's a tad blurry and from far away (not wanting to scare him). SO.... if you CAN help or have any idea what kind he is/was, I would be very, very grateful. That's all for now! Thanks again for sharing the gallery with everybody, it's so lovely!

Guest		09-Oct-2006 02:37
Hi. We saw a very large black wasp-like insect. It looks like a dirt dauber, 3" long or longer, all black with red-orange wings, and it's back legs look like a spider wasp when it flys. It lives in the ground by an electric pole. It kills tarantulas. I watched it fight one, I thought it would loose. The tarantula climbed on top of it and then the wasp stung it in the belly and the tarantula was dead. This wasp is about the size of a hummingbird. Do you know what I am describing? Do you have any info on this? Is it a wasp or hornet? Thank you from Arkansas

Bev Wigney		27-Sep-2006 03:16
Hi Barb, I'm afraid I can't really ID your son's bee from the description as it sounds like too many possible species. Bees are actually quite difficult, and the identification is made even more difficult by the fact that there are many bee and wasp mimics (usually flies) that look so much the same that it's difficult to tell them apart. Even with a photo it's pretty difficult to know what's what. Sorry about that! bev

Barb		26-Sep-2006 02:47
My son found a tiny bee of some sort and needs to identify it for his science project, but I can't find anything like it. It is about a half an inch and is highlighter yellow. It's eyes, legs, wings, everything, is this same bright yellow with the only markings being hazy black stripes on it's abdomen. The stinger is yellow as well. The wings are straight out to the sides. Can you help with any ideas? I love your site and have identified other hornets with your help already. Thank you in advance.

kristen		19-Sep-2006 01:39
i live in southern maine, i live on a 3rd floor apartment and today I looked over at on of my windows and from where i was standing about 20 feet away and saw something that almost looked like a worm, i have pretty crappy eyesight so I had to wonder! well i walked over and saw something that looked like a huge hornet or yellow jacket, I still can't believe what I saw, I can't see a picture that exactly describes what I saw but I do know it was about 1 inch long it had a stinger that was a half inch and it had black and yellow stripes.its wings were set out to the side not laying back, almost like a dragonfly, and its body was an even thickness it didnt vary at all. im just afraid to see more!! I have never been stung by anything and im 30 years old so I have this huge fear, I wish I didnt but I do so anyways I hope somone has seen something similar.

Guest		18-Sep-2006 20:34
There have been huge hornets or bees flying around my spotlight the past few nights... They are at least 1.5 inches long. I've never seen a bee this large before could you name a large bee or hornet that I could look up and learn about them... a sight with pictures would help thanx.. Don

Bev Wigney		02-Sep-2006 22:16
Could be one of the species knows as Cicada Killer wasps. They are large and can carry cicadas, which are fairly large insects in their own right. Here's a page with info and a couple of photos of Cicada Killers. http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/cicadakillerhome.html

Guest		02-Sep-2006 19:41
UPDATE: I am an architect and today my daughter and I were SHOCKED to see an enormous wasp that was yellow and black that was eating a very large grasshopper. We tried to get the attention of a doctor nearby to see what he thought this was. IT LOOKED LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN A MASON AND A GREAT BLACK WASP WITH WINGS LIKE A MOTH. The wasp looked like its wings were more like a moth's wings, and I think it was at least as big as a hummingbird...it was the BIGGEST wasp I have ever seen. Does anyone know what kind of flying wasp or fly might be catching and eating large grasshoppers? I was a cross between a wasp and maybe a moth type insect and ENORMOUS.

Bev Wigney		01-Sep-2006 10:12
Becca -- Did you get a good look at the insect. Sounds more like the coloring and size of a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. Look ups some images on Google Image search.

Becca		01-Sep-2006 00:00
Trying to find out what I saw. It was about 2 1/2 inches long. The rear part is all black and the head looks kind of reddish or brown. It looks like a huge wasp. I live in San Antonio, Tx

Bev Wigney		28-Aug-2006 00:37
Bernard -- It's difficult to say without seeing the insect, but I wonder if it might be some species of sawfly. Some of them can be quite large and often resemble hornets or wasps. If it's a sawfly, they aren't aggressive and are harmless. Here's one species which I have photographed. This is a Cimbex sawfly... perhaps C. femorata. It was large -- the body was about 3 cm. long. It made quite a loud buzzing sound but was unaggressive and a fairly slow flyer.

Bernard Davis		27-Aug-2006 22:22
I am looking to identify this think. I believe it is a large hornet (about 1 1/2 inches long) does not seem agressive, rear part of the body is mostly yellow with black stripes. Seems to hover and fly slowly, had the body separation normal of a hornet but just seems VERY large for a hornet. Live in North Eastern Ga.

sondi		26-Aug-2006 01:59
Looks very much like mine. The one I have doesn't have as big a black square on it's back but otherwise it looks identical. Right now it's eatting either cricket food or dry cat food. I wondered if it's larve was already inside the dry dog food since I've never seen anything like it around here before. What amazes me is when I shine the flashlight in the tank, it immediately runs away and digs into the dirt to get coverd. I'm in Northern Va. I must try to get a photo of both the beetle and the flying insect. Thank you for your help, Ill get a photo soon and see what you think my other one is.

Bev Wigney		25-Aug-2006 13:02
Sondi - Very interesting about the larvae! I don't know about the first one you've described, but perhaps the beetle is an American Carrion Beetle (Silpha americana). Here's a photo that I shot of one. http://www.pbase.com/image/29814838

Sondi		25-Aug-2006 12:28
I found some larve and put them inside my bug aquarium (no water). Today I found a full size black flying insect that looks like a wasp. It has a turquoise spot on it's abdomen. I don't know what it is, anyone with an idea? Another larve hatched into a beetle that is armored shaped. It is yellow across the top of the back and black on the bottom. It's about 1" in length and 1/2 " across. In the center of the yellow there is a small black square. I found the initial beetle/bug eatting some decayed dry dog food outside. Both of these are very strange and I have looked everywhere on the web so anything you can provide is fantastic.

Bev Wigney		24-Aug-2006 12:53
Jane - It's not unusual for insects to have an antenna knocked off through some mishap. I frequently find insects of all types with just one antenna, or one that has been damaged and it shorter than the other. If you photograph the insect, why don't you post the photo on Flicker or one of the freebie photo galleries (if you don't have a blog or online photo gallery), and then post the URL here on this gallery so that I and others can take a look at your insect and possibly be able to ID it for you.

jane		24-Aug-2006 12:44
I found a huge ( about the length of a fifty cent piece)hornet? and I would like to know what it is . It looks alot like the MASON HORNET ,( It found in northcentral pa.), only thing is , it only has one giant anntenea. i have it in a jar so I can take pictures.

Bev Wigney		19-Aug-2006 11:32
Sandy & Janet -- I'm not too familiar with wasps and hornets in Virginia and Kentucky. The order Hymenoptera, that includes bees, wasps, hornets, sawflies and ants, has well over 15,000 species just in North America, so it's often difficult to identify an insect to species, let alone genus. The best way to find out information on the wasps, hornets or bees of your region is probably to contact either the entomology section of an agriculture college or university in your region, or a local agriculture extension office for your state. They can probably refer you to someone on staff who deals with insect-related enquiries. As for getting rid of unwanted wasps and hornets, there's quite a bit of info online if you do a Google search using the term "problem wasp" or "problem hornet". There are usually state agriculture department websites as well as pest control websites that give some advice. You might try adding your state to the search terms such as "problem wasp Kentucky" and see what you get. Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about getting rid of problem insects as I photograph them and don't do anything to try to get rid of them from my farm.

Sandy Chandler Dement		18-Aug-2006 17:58
I live in W. Kentucky and was recently stung by some type of flying insect. It was less than an inch long and dark brown or chocolate in color. I had pulled a weed from around a juniper type shrub and this was and still is living under the shrub. I had a terrible allergic reaction. Over a period of about 2 hours my arm and hand were swollen to almost double the norm. This happened Wed. and it is now Fri. and I still have considerable swelling. How can I rid these things from my shrubs?

Janet		16-Aug-2006 01:40
We live in Virginia and we have some type of hornet? It looks like a mason but the markings are white instead of yellow and the wings are brown. Have any idea what this may be?S&J

Bev Wigney		10-Aug-2006 14:34
Blurt -- Do you think it could be a Sphex ichneumoneus? See this page and click on the image of the second insect down the page to see a larger view. http://www.lesinsectesduquebec.com/insecta/25-hymenoptera/sphecidae.htm

blurt15		10-Aug-2006 01:39
Crocodile, I found what I think is a hornet or some type of wasp crawling across my livingroom floor earlier today and I am trying to identify it as I have never seen something this big in Pennsylvania before. The insect is about two inches long with equally long wings ( also has a set of smaller wings). The top of its body is a brownish color with a prodominant brown circular mark on its back. The back section of the insect looks like leather, is hairless and is black with six yellow lines (three on each side, eyes are brown as well. It also has two, what look like pinchers at the mouth region and a long stinger. I have lived in PA all my for over thirty years and have never seen any stinging insect of this size. Can you help me identify this? Please let me know if you need any more information as I am concerned that it was found in my house and I have a two year old child. Blurt15

Bev Wigney		06-Aug-2006 11:09
That sounds like the nest of at least a couple or so species of wasps or hornets. In my own experience, they usually don't get mad unless approached and disturbed. We have had a couple of instances of wasps building paper nests under our back porch and if you came too close, one would always zoom out and fly after you. A couple of times we got stung while walking down some nearby steps. That autumn, after there was no activity around the nest, we removed the nest and disposed of it. Most of the time, we wouldn't bother as they don't usually bug us too much. However, that said, I've seen some huge paper nests that have been built inside of attics (I saw one that was brought into a natural history museum in my area and it was about 18 inches in diameter and 24 inches long). I wouldn't really want something like that up in my attic!

Guest		06-Aug-2006 02:59
I've discovered my first Hornet's nest, I think. It looks like it is made out of gray paper towels. I've probably been mowing under this tree all summer. What makes them mad? I have not seen them swarming around when I get under the tree... Thanks.

Bev Wigney		04-Aug-2006 12:47
Hi Jamie. I have no idea what that insect might be, but perhaps someone else reading these comments will be able to ID it from your description. So many insects have ranges that don't extend as far north as Canada that I haven't seen a lot of these species.

Jamie		04-Aug-2006 04:25
Hi! I recently moved to Oklahoma City about 6 months ago and just saw what is believed to be a Wasp, like nothing I have ever seen before. It was about the size of a half dollar. It had a stinger that was dropped a cloudy yellowish liquid. It's back was almost like a camoflauge to a brown leaf. It's legs were about 1/2" long (if they were stretched out). It had bright green eyes. I was wondering if you could help me identify it. Thanks!

Bev Wigney		27-Jul-2006 22:09
Hello James and Jalene - I can't really guess what wasp or hornet you have around your places as there are quite literally hundreds of wasp, hornet and bee species in North America. I just photograph insects and don't have much of an interest in pest control, so I'm not really the best person to ask about getting rid of problem wasps. However, what I can tell you is that the best way of finding information on dealing with pest wasps, etc.. is to do a Google search for something like "problem + wasp" or "problem + hornet". That should get you to some pages that have information on pest control as a there's a lot of information on the topic online. Good luck!

James		27-Jul-2006 19:32
I live in Maryland, USA. And for the past three years there has been some kind of wasp/hornet living under my porch. The past two years there was two, but this year i've noticed theres only one. Its about a inch long and completely black. I've looked at all the pictures I could find online and the closest one it looks like is a paper wasp. It's always flying around my door and I want it gone. None of the nest sprays work and I just dont know what to do.

Guest		26-Jul-2006 20:45
I live in San Miguel, Ca. there are very large (2 inch) hornets that are flying around. They are black with reddish brown wings. I have pictures of one. It abdomin is 1/3 to 1/2 inches thick.

Bev Wigney		23-Jul-2006 01:40
Joshua -- maybe they aren't wasps or hornets at all. Did you get a good look at them? I don't think there's any hornet that would be that large. I'd be more inclined to think that you're seeing a Hummingbird Moth as they certainly look like large bees when flying around a bush.

Joshua Jurgaitis		22-Jul-2006 21:35
I live in Reno, Nevada. I have a bush in my backyard that always attracts wasps and bees in the summer. I was looking at the bush and saw these wasp-like creatures that were between three and five inches long. The were pure black, with a redish-brown wings. We have a pool right next to the bush.

Bev Wigney		17-Jul-2006 00:35
Phil - Where are you located -- state or province? I'm not sure what those would be, but try going to this webpage and reading the brief descriptions and click on the species to see photos. My guess is that your wasps are in this family?

Phil		15-Jul-2006 21:05
I'm trying to identify the very large ground hornets that are now in charge of our front yard. They are about an inch to an inch and a quarter long, with the last one-quarter inch of their body black or dark brown, and their mid section banded black and white. They spend the first half of the day in low circling flight, often chasing each other, or us. It appears they have a ground nest, though we haven't been able to spot it. They are very fast and very agile.

Bev Wigney		16-Jun-2006 11:55
It's difficult to say what the black wasps might be. Have you taken any photos of them yet? We used to have a very dark-coloured wasp that hunted for flies in our barn, but they didn't seem to live in colonies. I think they were an introduced species from Europe. If you were to catch one, I would think the ag extension office of a regional agriculture college, or possibly the curator of a local natural history museum might be able to ID the specimen for you.

Guest		14-Jun-2006 20:36
I've been havin a heck of a time identifying a colony of wasps that moved into our neighbourhood. These guys are really cool. Thing is that their base of operations seems to be inside a crack in the siding and roof of the house. They are all jet black, approx. 2 - 2.5 cm in length, long segmented bodies and have no hair. Their wings are also black. They are pretty much chasing other yellow and black wasps away from their nests and have a territory spanning at least 3 backyards.

Bev Wigney		12-May-2006 12:57
Thanks "Guest". That's certainly good advice as it's quite true that a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) could be mistaken for either a hummingbird or a very large bee. Being a moth, it is harmless and has no sting.

Guest		12-May-2006 03:14
Some of these people may actually be seeing a hummingbird moth, one that looks more like a hornet than a hummingbird. Having seen several kinds in person, I too have been freaked out and wondered what they were. They are actually moths, which normally can only be out at night to avoid being eaten by birds, but cuz they look and sound like either a hummingbird or a hornet, they can be out in the daytime, feeding off of flowers and not disturbed by birds. The hornet-looking ones especially love to fly near you, I guess to freak you out, they sound just like a hornet with hummingbird wing-movement,or sometimes look like a hummingbird with wings constantly buzzing like one and they are loud and about 3 inches. Try google for a picture and see if they look familar. Since they are only moths, I believe they are harmless--the look and sound is to decieve predators. I live in Maryland, but I've seen them in Virginia too.

Bev Wigney		11-May-2006 11:14
Additional note for Fiona, I should mention that there are many species of bumblebees. There are great differences in size and shape between the species, especially among the queens. There are a couple of species up in my area (eastern Canada) which are extremely large. I don't think people pay that much attention to bumblebees, but once they do, they would notice just how large some of these bees are. Also, there's a lot of variation in their markings. Some are almost all yellow with just a bit of yellow, and then there are some species that have a lot of black with just some yellow. There's also a difference in the temperaments of some of these bees. Some are quite docile and don't mind if you're moving around near them, but at least a couple could be considered somewhat bad-tempered and might chase and sting if disturbed. Hope that helps.

Bev Wigney		11-May-2006 11:08
Fiona, The largest wasp or hornet that I know of is the Cicada Killer. There is a species which is mostly black with small yellow markings. You can read about them on this webpage. They are very large and conspicuous. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in573

Guest		11-May-2006 02:20
Hi, I am trying to find info about a bee or wasp I have seen near my home in Glenwood, MD. It is enormous, makes tremendous buzzing sound, louder than anything I have heard. It is mostly black but has a yellow and black striped tail, is very round like bumble bees, but is honestly at least 3 inches long. Quite extaordinary. Any clues? Fiona.

Bev Wigney		04-May-2006 16:12
Carole, Possibly the insect is a Cicada Killer (also known as a Ground Hornet). One species is mostly black with a few light markings. You can see a couple of different species of the following URL: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in573 By the way, I'm from Canada, so not really that familiar with Florida insects. -bev

Carole		04-May-2006 15:10
I am trying to find out about a very large hornet or wasp They are in the Jacksonville Fl. area and are the largest thing I have ever seen They are mostly black with a little brown on the body the heads and stingers are almost the size of a q-tip point. They sting with a lot of intensitiy.. Never saw anything like this.

Bev Wigney		03-Mar-2006 21:51
Kayla, Do you have a photo of the wasp or hornet? And also, where was the insect seen (country, state, etc...). There are many species of wasps and hornets, so beyond a few of the most common species, there are actually so many that it would be difficult to ID it just by colour or description. -- bev

kayla		03-Mar-2006 19:46
iam trying to id a wasp or hornet. It has a reddish brown body with black wings.

MB		29-Aug-2005 14:22
I saw something enormous, all black with bright yellow lines marking the back; it was so big I thought it was a hummingbird...in Stamford, CT. I have had bald-faced wasps paper wasps and yellowjackets...could this be something that preys on those insects? Seriously 3 inches in size...Many thanks for your help

Bev Wigney		22-Aug-2005 23:00
Without seeing a photo of the insect, it's difficult to guess as there are many hundreds of different bees, hornets, wasps, etc... However, perhaps it is a species such as this YellowJacket. http://bugguide.net/node/view/18052 If not, you might try looking around at other species on that website as there are many photos posted. Good luck. -- bev

debra		22-Aug-2005 16:41
hi there, im trying to identy a wasp that is deep golden in colr about an inch or longer ugly looking thing, leaves a big red spot where sting is and leaves a very big red area around it , i veiwed your pics but didnt see anything like it,plz e-mail me if u have pics or send me to a site that may have it , ty very much for your time.debra

Dwayne		12-Jul-2005 04:32
I am trying to ID a wasp or hornet. They are large ( appx. 2 inches ), brilliant yellow, no black, wings are yellow. They constantly land in my pool and fly away. I have viewed many sites with many photos, but none of what I am looking for. Can you point me in the right direction? I live in Phoenix AZ if that helps.

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