Categories
Horntails, Wood Wasps and SawfliesHornet/Wasp??
Location: Billericay, Essex, UK
August 15, 2011 7:27 am
OK so I live in Essex in the UK and this beast came flying into our house. It was about two inches in size (including what I can only assume is it’s sting that was coming from its body)
We live in a suburban area, there are some woods about half a mile away though. It came into the house at about 1pm. Was a sunny day but not incredibly warm.
Any ideas what it is??
Signature: Alex
Wood Wasp
Hi Alex,
This is a Great Wood Wasp or Horntail, Urocerus gigas. You can read about it on the UK Safari website where it states: “Sometimes called ‘horntails’ for obvious reasons. The female (above) has a long pointed tube at the back of her body, and this is often mistaken for a stinging organ. In fact it’s an ovipositor, which she uses to lay her eggs in the trunks of coniferous trees. Despite their appearance, these insects are quite harmless.”
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