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Bug for you.
I’m about 1 hour north or Toronto, Ontario, and saw this bug around Mid August. Someone told me it was a "Ichneumon", but from the ones on your site, it did not quite look the same. Can you confirm for me?
Mark
Hi Mark,
The American Pelecinid is grouped with the wasps within the order Hymenoptera. The larval Pelecinids feed on June Beetle Grubs.
Tremex columba laying eggs
My daughter Laurie Rose found this Tremex columba laying eggs in one of our aspen trees. The insect has just inserted her ovipositor into the tree. She took about 5 minutes to insert her ovipositor all the way up to her abdomen. She laid egg after egg for many hours.
Doug Parr
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Hi Doug,
Thanks so much for sending in your photo of a Pigeon Horntail Ovipositing.
Urgent Need of Identification for This Insect!
Hi there! I live in Georgia, and I captured this one on the sidewalk next to a sand-filled pool. I’ve looked everywhere for it and can’t find a definate match. I’m doing an insect collection, and I’m in need of this one’s name. Could you help? Thanks in advance,
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
We believe your Thread Waist Sphecid Wasp is probably Eremnophila aureonotata. We will check with Eric Eaton.
What kind of bee is this??
My husband was mowing the grass the other day and several of these bees came out of a tree and stung him. I can’t figure out what kind of bee this might be? Its very red almost and exceptionally large. Their bodies are longer than a quarter. For now, we are calling them “School Bus Bees” because of their size. We wonder if we should not do something about them because their nest seems to be getting much larger. Help! Thanks,
Heather Tierney
Hi Heather,
The Giant Hornet or European Hornet, Vespa crabro, was introduced to the eastern part of North America from Europe. Like all social wasps, they will defend their nest. They must have felt threatened by the lawn mower.
help identify this fly please!
Fly was photographed in Northern Minnesota. Never seen anything like it before. Thanks!
Phil Carlson
Hi Phil,
This non-stinging wasp relative is known as the American Pelecinid.
ID please
Hi there,
I’m from Quebec, Canada. For the 2nd year I have that bug around my house. I just need the identification.(see picts enclose) I looked for your web page and I thing it is similar Cicadas Killer Wasp. Is it correct? Thanks,
Guy Rene
Excuse my English I’m a french spoker.
Hello Guy,
Your English is far better than our French. This is not a Cicada Killer. It is a Great Golden Digger Wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus. The underground nest is provisioned with paralyzed crickets and grasshoppers for the larvae to eat.
Sorry to bother you, I found an interesting bug!
Ok, it’s interesting to me. I’m in Northern Virginia, and I found this shiny green guy on the windowsill of my son’s room. I searched your site, but couldn’t find anyone like him, I’m sure it’s just a lack of looking in the right place. Anyhow, here are some pictures. Please be assured that we had nothing to do with its demise, I only observe, and I release anyone who gets trapped, but sometimes I don’t find them in time. 
You can see by the other pictures on my house critters page that I don’t harm anything, I appreciate the symbiosis. I didn’t put anything in the pictures for a scale reference, I realize now, but curled up like it is, it’s about the same size as my pinky nail, fairly small. Anyhow, many thanks if you have the time to let me know what it is!
bri..
Hi Bri,
This pretty little creature is a Cuckoo Wasp in the family Chrysididae. We have several photos on our wasp pages. In this rigor mortis pose, it rather reminds us of the Mickey’s Malt Liquor mascot.
weird red bug
WTB,
What is this thing in the attached picture? It’s hard to get perspective from the picture, but this insect is pretty big, much bigger than any ant I’ve seen. It’s about as big as a hornet. And it’s velvety, and the color is very bright. Any idea what it is? Thanks
Peter Buzzard
New Bern, NC
Hi Peter,
We are getting many letters regarding Cow Killers, a type of Velvet Ant. Velvet Ants are flightless female wasps. Is there a population explosion? Seems they might be more common this year than in years past.
Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. 19. Dasymutilla sackeni, white form. hope this helps a bit.
Bug from Bartlett, IL
We found this bug on a tree in Bartlett, Illinois last August and have seen another few again this August. What is it? Great site; Thanks.
Jason Wilen
Hi Jason,
This female Pigeon Horntail, Tremex columba, has been photographed in the act of laying eggs. She uses her ovipositor to lay eggs inside th wood of dead or dying trees. The young are wood borers and they are preyed upon by another wasp relative, the Giant Ichneumon.
What is this bug?
I found a wasp-like insect with fuzzy red bottom and black everywhere else. What is this bug? I live in Southern California.
Joelle
Hi Joelle,
This is a Velvet Ant, actually a flightless female wasp. We have several species in Southern California, and this looks like it might be Dasymutilla coccinea.
Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. 21. is most likely pseudomethoca anthracina. hope this helps a bit.
Would appreciate any assistance
Greetings Bugman!
Thank you for your really fun (and educational, of course) site. I have enjoyed it immensely. We recently moved to Central VA and have been fascinated by the many new bugs we have found on our 3 acres. This past week our lawn has been benignly "invaded" by the attached bug. With a 2-year old and a 3-year old we were alarmed by seeing what seems like a couple hundred wasps flying over and through the (very) long grass. They have acted utterly harmless, though, and even tolerated me mowing the lawn – effortlessly moving out of the way and then back to their flightpaths. They don’t sit still often and finally I caught one on camera. Any thoughts? They just roam endlessly 6 inches over the lawn, often congregating but rarely stopping. Hard to tell in this photo, but the "tail" is orange and black striped and covered in tiny hairs. You are probably overwhelmed with requests for your expertise, but if you have any information I would greatly appreciate it! All the best,
Dan Chambers
Hi Dan,
This is a Digger Wasp, Scolia dubia. Thanks for the excellent first hand behavior observations.
Cicada Wasp Killer
Hi!
My name is Lorraine Cook. My backyard in Philadelphia, PA. has been invaded by CK. I contacted Professor Chuck Holliday of Lafayette College (Easton, PA) who confirmed the identity of the wasps. I’m currently collecting paralyzed cicadas for Professor Holliday to aid in his research. Sincerely,
Lorraine Cook
Hi Lorraine,
Your photo appeals to our questionable sense of humor. We just hope the Cicada Killer did not mistake the lovely young lady pictured on the box for a Cicada.
