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yellow n orange wasp
hello again, so now i found this one on the desert milkweed……. and did not seem to find it in your listing, could you id for me…. tx,
Jim and Daniele BOLLER
Surprise, Arizona
Hi Jim and Daniele,
We found a match for your wasp on BugGuide. It was identified as Trielis octomaculata.
wasp moth? Hello,
I just downloaded a bunch of photos of wonderful bugs shot in weed patch along the edge of a small wooded area in Northampton, PA. Most of them were bees and wasps. This one was different than most of them and at first I thought it might be a wasp moth. After looking at your site, it appears it could be a digger wasp, but I couldn’t quite tell from the photo. You are welcome to use this photo if you wish. I cropped it so it would not clog your server. I have a larger, uncropped version too if you want. But this one cuts to the subject pretty well. I also got a great photo of a Wheel Bug devouring a bee while a wasp gathered nectar within 2 inches of it. I’ll send that under separate cover. Thanks
Johanna
Hi Johanna,
This is a real wasp, a Digger Wasp, Scolia dubia. We posted another photo of this species last week, but since your photo is so much clearer, we are posting it as well.
What is this Bug!!!
Dear Bugman,
Out on my patio on 9/1/07, saw this Bug, never seen it before. This was shot @ 6:00pm CT on Sat. 9/1/07 in Shakopee, MN What is it, it’s has a pretty mean looking stinger. Is it dangerous? See Attached
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
This is a Pigeon Horntail, a non-stinging wood wasp. The stinger is actually an ovipositor that the female wasp uses to lay eggs under the bark of dead and dying trees.
Wasp?
This lovely creature and its pals visit my apple mint around noon each day. Must be their lunch counter or something. They’re about an inch long and as you can see, have beautiful irridescent blue-black wings. They’re striped like a coral snake (red touch yellow, kill a fellow) and only feast on the mints in my garden, even though there are many other flowers nearby. Is it a wasp? I looked at your site and several others, and can’t find anything that looks like this. Also, is it dangerous? It doesn’t seem aggressive, as the mint is along the side of the driveway and we brush by it getting in and out of our cars and haven’t been stung yet. I hope someone can identify it.
Hedy Hadley
Glassboro, NJ
Well, I revisited the wasp section of your site and found that the photo I sent you is of Scolia dubia – a digger wasp. That might explain the little piles of dirt on the opposite side of the driveway that I blamed on ants or beetles. I’ll have to check this out. I’ve never seen the wasps on the lawn or anyplace else except the mint. Go figure! Hedy Hadley
Glassboro, NJ
Hi Hedy,
You are correct. This is a Digger Wasp, Scolia dubia.
Waiting for me when I got back from a trip
Daniel.
This bug was on my desk when I got back from Denver. It is probably something very common and I am going to look silly for asking, but… what is it? Thanks,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Because this question came from you, we could not rest until we had the answer. We believe this to be one of the Parasitoid Ensign Wasps, more specifically, the Cockroach Egg Parasitoid Wasp, Evania appendigaster, as evidenced by some images on BugGuide. According to a University of Florida website: “The female adult lays her eggs in the oothecae of cockroaches, parasitizing them. These insects, therefore, are beneficial to us.”
What kind of bug is this?
It was about the size of a small tarantula 3" long 1 1/2 wide, black with gold wings and feelers, walked like a spider and flew away
Captain Ron
Hi Captain Ron,
It is ironic that you said this wasp was the size of a Tarantula when it is a Tarantula Hawk in the genus Pepsis. The largest Tarantula Hawks we have ever seen were in Northern Baja California on the Sea of Cortez and your photo reminds us of those beaches.
Wow, lucky guess I had,… And you too, It was actually taken in the northern beaches in Baja, but on the Pacific ocean side, 20 miles south of the boarder. Thanks for the info.
Strange Jars
Hi,
My name is Thomas, I am in the 7th grade. I found these outside attached to a laundry line. I was wondering if you know what insect made these strange jars? Thank you very much.
Thomas Salinas
Bakersfield, California.
Hi Thomas,
These are Potter Wasp Pots. Potter Wasps, Eumenes species, construct these pots from mud and provision them with paralyzed caterpillars. Each pot then contains a single wasp egg and the growing wasp larva will feed on the caterpillars. Thanks for sending your great photo.
A BIG WASP. DUNNO
RON D. HERE AGAIN FROM CENTRAL ILLINOIS. I SAW THIS LARGE WASP AND TOOK IT’S PICTURE. IT’S ABOUT 1 1/4" LONG AND QUITE PRETTY. HAVE ANY IDEA?? I’M SURE YOU DO.
Ron
Hi Ron,
This appears to be a Tiphiid Wasp in the genus Myzinum, possibly the Five Banded Tiphiid, Myzinum quinquecinctum.
Cukoo Wasp?
Hi! Love the site and I enjoy looking at all the different species of wasps. This little guy (about 1" or so) showed up in my back yard about a week ago along with about 4 million of his brothers and sisters. They seem to be dwelling in the ground. The closest thing I’ve identified them with is the Cukoo Wasp. Any ideas? Thanks.
Adam Morehart
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Hi Adam,
This is a Digger Wasp, Scolia dubia. Adult wasps prey on the grubs of June Beetles as a food source for the larval wasps.
identification help
Hello dear Sir,
could you help me please to identify this giant insect. Here some info for identification help: This insect is about 5 cm (2 inches) longwise. Was found in the tropic area of Crimean mountains (Ukraine). Looks like it lives into the burrow or hollow of the old tree stub. It was alone there. Thank you
Lora
Hi Lora,
This is a Digger Wasp in the family Scoliidae. Scoliid Wasps are hairy, robust wasps that prey upon the ground dwelling grubs of Scarab Beetles. The adult wasps feed on nectar, and the beetle grubs are food for the larval wasps. There is a close enough resemblance to a North American species, Scolia dubia, that your specimen might be in the same genus.
What type of caterpillar is this?
I’m hoping you folks can help me identify the type of caterpillar in the photo I’ve attached. They’re ravaging my white birch tree! That aside, I just want to ensure for the most part that it’s safe for my kids to play around the tree. Thanks,
Christian
Hi Christian,
These are not caterpillars, but Sawfly Larvae. Sawflies are non-stinging relatives of wasps. They will not harm your children, but might defoliate your tree if they are plentiful enough. We tried to identify the species, or even genus, but were unable to do so, despite locating a wonderful website devoted to Sawfly Larvae. We got excited when we read the description of the Birch Sawfly, Arge pectoralis, because the coloration matched, but the images on BugGuide show a very different body shape.
Hi Daniel,
Well, you can get excited again! See the attached image. My picture is out of focus, however the body shape is the same. I noticed that they go into that ‘S’ shape whenever any other bug, or my finger, approached it. Thanks for your help,
Christian
I think these are honets…
We have an bird feeder (sugar water) that has attracted these bugs this year… we didn’t see them last year and were wondering what exactly they are. Thanks
Jim
Pickering, On, Canada
Hi Jim,
What an awesome image of a Bald Faced Hornet in flight.
