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Pigeon Horntail

Posted by September 29th, 2008 at 4:48 pm

Categories

Horntails, Wood Wasps and Sawflies

Giant winged earwig, maybe?
Since I’ve moved into my house about 5 years ago, every year there has been one or two of there vicious looking bugs on a half dead tree in the middle of my driveway from late spring to late fall. Same looking bug, near the bottom of the tree. The tree is 80% dead, with all the leaves being at the very top.
I never see it eat or fly around. I just sits on the tree and…pulsates. That’s about the best way to describe it. It doesn’t mind the lawnmower. Only ever seen it on the tree. It’s about 4 or 5cm long. I don’t see any holes that it’s living in.
At first I thought it was some sort of wasp because of the way it’s colored, but the more I looked at it, it reminded me of an earwig. One of my friends said, “That’s what wasps looked like when I was young.” Of course, I have the bug identification skills of a cinder block, so that’s why I thought I’d send it to you.
Thanks for any help, it’d be nice to finally put a name to whatever that is.
Thanks
Northwest Ohio

Pigeon Horntail

Pigeon Horntail

Your insect is a Pigeon Horntail, a type of Wood Wasp. This non-stinging species lays eggs in dying and dead trees and the larvae bore into the wood.

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