American Pelecinid

bugman

September 14th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

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Winged black bug with 2 inch hook-like thing
September 14, 2009
Dear Bugman,
I awoke this morning, and on my window screen I found this bug. It’s about 3 inches long, and black. It has a long, hooked appendage below its wings. It’s 6 segments, but possibly 7. The very tip is at an angle, but it’s only a millimeter or two, so I’m not sure if it’s another segment or just the end of the 6th. I’m not sure if it’s some type of stinger, because although the end is tapered, it doesn’t look very sharp. I found it at about 10:00 AM in Fargo, North Dakota today, so during the end of summer and fall is when this picture is from.
Scary Bug Girl
Fargo, North Dakota

American Pelecinid

Dear Scary Bug Girl,
This nonstinging wasp relative is an American Pelecinid. Its profile is very distinctive. The female of the species (your individual is a female) uses her long abdomen to deposit eggs underground near burrowing May Beetle Grubs that her larvae will feed upon. We love your photograph.

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American Pelecinid (September 8, 2009)

Comments 1

rlee wrote:
OMG!! I live in Fargo, ND too and just saw this same bug on my window screen at about 6:30 pm tonight and was so freaked out by it. My husband sprayed it with Lysol and it flew away. I had no idea what kind of bug it was so I was searching on line and this site was so helpful. Thanks!!
Posted 16 Sep 2009 at 9:28 pm ¶