Giant Ichneumons
(06/04/2007) bug with long tail
I figured out from your website that this is probably the Giant Ichneumon.  I just thought you might like a couple of more pictures.  These were taken on a dead stump in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN.
Mike



Hi Mike,
Thank you for sending in your lovely image of Megarhyssa atrata, the most commonly depicted Giant Ichneumon in written texts. IT is your second photo that really impresses us. You have captured that female Megarhyssa atrata ovipositing while a female Megarhyssa macrurus (we believe) looks on. Your photos are great.

Giant Ichneumon Ovipositing
(Mother's Day 05/13/2007) Huge Hornet or Wasp?
Hi I found this on one of our trees in the front yard. I wanted to know if you could tell me what kind of bug it is and what it's doing with it's extremely long tail?
Scott



Hi there Scott,
This is one of the Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa, probably Megarhyssa macrurus. Giant Ichneumons are non-stinging relatives of wasps. This female is ovipositing. The long stingerlike "tail" is her ovipositor and it enables her to lay eggs deep in borer infested wood. The food for the young Megarhyssa is the larval form of wood boring insects like Horntails.

Ichneumon from New Zealand
(04/15/2007)
Hi Bug Man,
We found this wasp like insect today. We have never seen anything like it. Hope you can tell us something about it. The first photo is taken up against a yellow lighter that is 8cm long. Looking forward to hearing from you. Many thanks and best wishes,
Tina Chambers
Wanganui
New Zealand



Hi Tina,
This is a species of Ichneumon. Ichneumons are parasitic wasps. Many lay eggs deep inside wood where the host wood-boring insects live.

Ichneumon
(04/11/2007) What is this?
Our 3 1/2 year old son Jacob found this in our wood pile today (4/11) and we have no idea what it is. We live in Northern California.
Sara & Jacob Ysunza



Hi Sara and Jacob,
This is an Ichneumon. Ichnuemons are nonstinging relatives of wasps. The female uses her long ovipositor to deposit eggs into the host insect. Many Ichneumons parasitize wood boring insects, hence her presence in a wood pile. Our guess is that this is a species of Arotes.

Ichneumon
(02/07/2007) Can you help me identify this skyscraper bug???
I spotted this interesting bug on the outside of a window on the 39th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Chicago. Is it an Ichneumon? It was not very large, maybe and inch and a half in length (including the stinger/ovipositer). I can't seem to find out exactly what it is, and the fact that it was so high up on the building has me stumped. I see spiders in abundance outside the windows at certain times of the year, but never anything like this.
Thanks,
Nicole



Wow Nicole,
This is the best photo we have received in a long long time. Yes, it is an Ichnuemon.

Unknown Ichnuemon
(01/20/2007) Weird Waspy Looking Thing
Hi WTB,
We live in Clearwater, FL and found this sort of waspy looking bug on the side of the garage. We've never seen anything quite like it and wondered if you could help us identify it! Thanks.
Martin & Lisa Hine



Hi Martin and Lisa,
We believe this to be an Ichneumon. Ichneumons belong to the order Hymenoptera which includes wasps. Ichneumons are important parasite species that lay eggs singly on a host insect. The larva then begins to eat the internal organs which results in the death of the host. If it were not for Ichnuemons, other species of insects would overpopulate, hence they are important in the balance of nature.

Giant Ichneumons Ovipositing
(01/17/2007) Ichneumon Wasps?
I believe that these are Ichneumon wasps. We watched them for quite some time as they took turns laying eggs. The "fan" at the tail was iridescent and pulsating. Thanks!
Kip Evoy



Hi Kip,
Congratulations on your stunningly beautiful image of two female Giant Ichneumons, Megarhyssa atrata, ovipositing. We especially love the tiny centipede visible under the bark. We do not fully understand the mechanics governing the ovipositor, but this membrane is visible on numerous photos in our archives and elsewhere.

Parasitic Wasp: Ichneumon Species
(12/15/2006) Horntail?
Hi Bugman,
Very cool site; I must check in at least once a week. I am an avid macrophotographer and came across this insect in Delaware on Nov. 14th. I am quessing it may be a Horntail. The last tergite of the abdomen has a spike that resembles an ovipositor. It was found on a pokeweed in a white pine forest. Its body lenght was about 2.5 cm minus the antenna and spike. I checked my field guides and did a few internet searchs to no avail. Any ID assistance would be appreciated. Thank you,
William Brozy



Hi William,
What a gorgeous photo. We flipped it to maximize its size on our site. This is a Parasitic Wasp in the superfamily Ichneumonidae. We are not sure if it is a true Ichneumon, or a Brachonid. We will see if Eric Eaton can provide an answer. Eric wrote in that in his opinion, this is an Ichneumon.

Ichneumon Ovipositing
(09/23/2006) ichneumon photos
on dead pin oak in SE Pennsylvania
Peter



Hi Peter,
Thanks for sending your photo of a female Megarhyssa macrurus ovipositing.

Two Species of Megarhyssa
(09/17/2006) Giant Ichneumon Coloring
Found these terrifying gentle giants in my backyard today. I was wondering what the difference is between the beautiful yellow-auburn colored ones and the shiny black one. There was only one shiny black one that I could see and it was the only one flying around the tree. All the rest were hanging out, depositing their eggs. Thanks!
Jera



Hi Jera,
Your photo shows two species from the genus Megarhyssa. The black specimen is Megarhyssa atrata, the species typically called the Giant Ichneumon. The brown specimen is probably Megarhyssa macrurus.

Giant Ichneumon
(09/17/2006) Dragonfly / Hornet / ?
Good Day,
I haven't seen this type of flying insect in our area (Southern Ontario) until it tried to dive bomb my head while I was sitting on our deck. It eventually landed on our shed and I was able to take a couple of shots. It's body is about 2" long. Including the tail it is about 5-6" long! Thanks for any info you can provide. Great site!
Chris Glos
Windsor, Ontario



Hi Chris,
This is a Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa macrurus, and though it is related to wasps, it does not sting. That is an ovipositor for laying eggs inside wood where the larva parasitize boring insects.

Giant Ichneumon
(09/13/2006) pictures of Giant Ichneumon?
Dear Bugman,
We snapped a couple of great pictures of a female Giant Ichneumon (genus megarhyssa macrurus) on a wall of our body shop in Akron, Ohio. My understanding it that it's a type of parasitic wasp, and the long "tail" is actually the ovipositor that the wasp uses to insert its eggs deep into bark or soft wood. Does this sound correct? Do we have the correct bug? We thought it was odd that she was hanging around inside all day.
Thanks!
Judith & Kevin Mohr



Hi Judith and Kevin,
Your information and identification are both absolutely correct.

Ichneumon Soap
(08/03/2006) Anecdote
An humorous, albeit tragic, anecdote that I thought you might enjoy: I work in a paving/construction office which is connected to a large open garage/storage area which is rather exposed to the outside. Our safety director needed some papers that had been stored away in the mezzanine area above the garage. While in the mezzanine, she encountered this Giant Ichneumon, which repeatedly "dive-bombed" her. Not knowing what this bug was and mistaking its ovipositor for a monstrous stinger, she screamed, tripped and fell, wet herself (luckily she had a pair of extra pants downstairs), and continued screaming, drawing a small crowd of concerned coworkers who gathered at the bottom of the stairway to the mezzanine. One brave individual ran upstairs and, sadly, killed the poor bug as our safety director ran down the stairs ranting about its gigantic proportions and "prehistoric" features. Intrigued by her tale of wonder, a coworker and I went up to look at the dead bug, and were intrigued but unimpressed. There were many guesses as to what the bug was, ranging from a mayfly, to a cicada wasp, to a robber fly, but thanks to your website I was able to determine that it was a Giant Ichneumon. My coworker took the dead bug home and placed it into some heated glycerine to form the bar of soap pictured, so that it could preserved and returned to our safety director to commemorate the event. While I know the insect's untimely death is saddening, I found this story to be too ridiculous to not send to you. Thanks for your amazing website!!!
Jen Price



Hi Jen,
We are greatly amused at the irony that your safety director tripped and fell running from a totally harmless Giant Ichneumon. Surely, thousands of needless accidents occur, perhaps even daily, because of the fear generated by arthropod encounters. We are also amused as we toyed with the idea of having homemade soaps with plastic insects imbedded inside made available on our giftshop page.

Giant Ichneumon
(08/01/2006) WTF is this bug?
Hi, I'm from Denver, Colorado, and we dont get a lot of crazy insects on account of the dry-weather and cold and whatnot, but for some reason, I was out working in my backyard yesterday and I found this bizarre looking thing that I'd never seen before in my many years in the Rocky Mountains...and have NO idea what it is! Any ideas? (I have huge huge high-res photos if you'd like them for additional detail) Thanks a bunch!
Chris



Hi Chris,
We are sensing real domain potential with the "WTF is that Bug?" website. This is one of the Giant Ichneumons, probably Megarhyssa macrurus. The female deposits eggs with that stingerlike ovipositor and the young prey on wood boring insects.

Giant Ichneumon
(07/09/2006) Long tailed wasp
Hi Bugman,
I tried looking on your site earlier today and couldn't identify this. My mom spent a bit more time on the site and was able to identify this bug as a type of wasp. What we're wondering is what it was doing. It kept flipping its body up over its head and holding on to the long tail with its back legs, then pulling. It was doing this for hours. It looked like the wasp was trying to pull the tail off! Do they do this?
The Demeritt Family



Hi Demeritt Family,
We can't imagine how you missed the photo of the Giant Ichneumon on our homepage. This is Megarhyssa atrata, a female. The long tail is an ovipositor that the female uses to lay eggs deep inside rotting wood of trees. Such wood is often infested by wood boring grubs, especially those of the Pigeon Horntail, and those grubs are the food for the young larval Ichneumon. The odd thing about your photo is that the Ichneumon is trying to lay eggs in wooden siding. Perhaps you have a grub infestation.

Giant Ichneumon
(07/05/2006) Whats this bug?
I have been cutting wood at my home in Northern Michigan, about 40 miles South East of Traverse City. I have been noticing these strange wasp like insects boring holes in dead trees. Today we were building a new wood shed and I snapped the second picture of one of these insects on a tree. Can you please tell me what this is? You are more than welcome to post my question and your answer along with these pictures on your web site for others to see. Thanking you in Advance,
Ron & Diane Loveland
First time we saw one of these creatures.Second picture. Notice the strange thing hanging off its tail.... What is it?



Hi Ron and Diane,
Sorry for the delay. We had technical problems and are trying to answer a few backlogged letters. This is a Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata, a female. She is laying eggs in wood that is infested with boring insects, like the Pigeon Horntail. The young Ichneumon parasitized the boring insects. The membrane visible in one photo is part of the egg laying process.

Giant Ichneumon
(06/23/2006) Great pic but don't know what it is? Maybe a tree wasp cousin?
Shot this pic 3 days ago in our backyard. A friend said it is kind of a tree wasp that uses its orange feelers to locate bugs under tree bark, then drills into the bark and inserts an egg into the bug via the black feeler. Pretty fancy work! Don't know its name.
Ian Taylor
Huntsville, Ontario



Hi Ian,
What a truly spectacular photo of a Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata. The explanation your friend gave you is essentially correct.

Giant Ichneumon
(06/14/2006)
Can you tell us what this insect is? I'm 70 and this is the first one I've seen.
Thanks,
Geoff Bowles.



Hi Geoff,
This is a Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa, probably Megarhyssa macrurus. The female uses that long ovipositor to deposit an egg deep in dead and dying wood because her larva will parasitize wood boring insects found there.

Giant Ichneumon
(05/22/2006) Identification Help Please
Could you help me identify this bug? It was photographed in western North Carolina last week. I have lived here 30 years and never seen anything like it.Thanks in advance,
Kevin



Hi Kevin,
What a great photo of Megarhyssa atrata, one of the Giant Ichneumons.

Giant Ichneumon
(05/13/2006) what kind of bug is this one?
This looks an awful lot like a wasp but is much bigger. The body is around 2.5" and the "stinger" is about 3-4" long. It has 1 pair of wings , 6 leggs, and two antena. I took the pix on our Maple tree out back, and we live in Northwest Oklahoma. thanks for your help.
Judy Morris



Hi Judy,
This is a harmless Giant Ichneumon, probably Megarhyssa macrurus. Your backlit photo is quite stunning.

Ichneumon
(05/10/2006) Horntail? (Kirkland, WA)
I have two, sometimes three of these, everyday, on the south facing windows. On the inside. Have not seen these insects around the home in previous years, but two events may explain (aside from the season). The first is the neighbor's house was destrpyed by fire, the second I have had the torch down roof replaced. Now some of these insects I see each day have an ovipositor and some like this one pictured, don't. And then again, some have an orange banding around their bodies and not yellow ... and there appears to be an armored shell. The picture was taken using a Nikon Coolpix 775. The insect is in a glass jar. Wasps or horntails?
regards
chrisE



Hi chrisE,
This appears to be a male Ichneumon. Females have the long ovipositors. Eggs are laid deep inside dead and dying trees since the larval food is wood boring insects. Ichneumons are related to wasps. Eric Eaton added the following: " Oh, that male ichneumon could be a female. Not all female ichneumons have a long ovipositor. In fact, most don't."

Ichneumon from Scotland
(05/07/2006) wasp photo
Hi there
I have been through your wood wasp shots but couldn't find anything like this one. My parents found it beside their pile of firewood logs. It is about an inch long (2.5cm) and the ovipositor is a bit longer than the body. We have never seen anything like it. Some of the logs had 4mm bore holes in them.
Regards
Peter
Falkirk
Scotland



Hi Peter,
Ichneumons are wasp relatives, but have their own page on our site. This looks very similar to our American Megarhyssa species, but we cannot conclusively say that is the correct genus without more research. Female oviposits deep in rotting wood where larvae feed on wood boring insects.

Giant Ichneumon
(04/29/2006) Can you identify this?
We recently found this bug in our yard while burning some trees that had blown down. It appeared they were laying eggs in the loose bark of one of the trees. It looked at if one was laying the eggs, and the other one might have been using the long "antenna" to fertilize the eggs.
Kathy



Hi Kathy,
Female Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa use that long, stingerlike ovipositor to place eggs deep in wood that contains their food source, wood boring grubs. They are related to wasps, but do not sting and are harmless.

Male Ichneumon
(03/29/2006) can u tell me what this is
i found this guy in a casino out side of chicago
stephon young
chicago il



Hi Stephon,
We believe this is a male Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa. We usually get photos of the females with their extremely long ovipositors. We will check with Eric Eaton to get a second opinion.

Giant Ichneumon
(03/10/2006) Wood boring bug?
Dear Bugman,
I am interested in finding out what this bug is. Our local elementary school science teachers cannot name it. We found it in Northern Lower Michigan in the fall. Around the Lake City area. I have looked at ALL of the bugs on your website but have not seen this one. Please help.
Thank you.
Robert E.



Hi Robert,
Look again because we have an entire page devoted to Ichneumons. This is a Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata. It is not a wood boring insect, but a parasite on wood boring grubs. The female, which you have photographed, uses her long ovipositor to lay eggs deep inside wood infested with horntails and other boring insects.

Stinging Ichneumon
(01/26/2006) stinger
Hi there. My wife won't squash most bugs; she captures the critters and tosses them outside. Yesterday she thought she was saving a crane fly, but when she cupped it in her hand, whatever it was gave her a nice sting. Later in the day I found it and took its picture. Unfortunately, the process seems to have sent it to its final reward. I'm attaching the mugshots. Can you identify it? Thanks.
Russ
Topanga, CA



Hi Russ,
We thought this looked like an Ichneumon, but had never heard of them stinging. So, we wrote to Eric Eaton and he wrote back with this surprising reply: "Yes to both! It IS an ichneumon, probably in the Ophionini tribe, and they are among the few ichneumons capable of stinging. I had been under the impression that NO ichneumons could sting, but that is WRONG. Some apparently paralyze their host caterpillars long enough to drive an egg into them. Goes to show that I'm still learning basic information myself. Eric"

Giant Ichneumon
(12/29/2005 pretty bug sitting on our screen door
I found this pretty bug sitting on our screen door this July in East-Central Illinois. Overall, it was about 5-6 inches in length. Any ideas what it was?
Thanks,
Kim



Hi Kim,
It is so refreshing that you find the Giant Ichneumon species in the genus Megarhyssa pretty. Usually people are horrified at the thought of getting stung. That long appendage is the female's ovipositor and it is used to deposit eggs in wood infested by boring larvae and grubs. This is a beneficial insect.

Giant Ichneumon
(11/26/2005) What's this bug??
Hello!  Can you please identify this tree bug for me?  Last summer at our cottage in the Eastern Townships (Brome Lake), Canada...I found several of these bugs burrowing into one of my trees.  The tree is hollowed in several places by woodpeckers.  These particular flying bugs that have about 4 inch long triple tail end tenticles that burrow into the tree, (all 4 inches of their tail end tenticles into the tree, and I must say only in this particular tree). They may be about 2 inches in length, and I also see some smaller brownish types around, but they do not react in the same way.  The larger ones that appear to be darker in color, have a tail end that engulfs, and fans out into a whitish colored fan, that may grow to about the size of a nickle.  Once their tail end fan appears at its' largest,  they retract it and fly away.  I have never seen this bug before, and have owned my cottage for the past 25 years.  Can you help identify, and explain what this bug is?  I hope my pictures will be good. 
Thankyou,.
Diane O'Donnell



Hi Diane,
The Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata, is a beneficial insect that lays eggs in wood infested by boring grubs.

Giant Ichneumon
(11/10/2005) Bug pic
This was found on the wooded doorpost of our office door  — in Washington Crossing (North of Phila.), PA
John



Hi John,
This is a Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa. It doesn't sting.

Giant Ichneumon
(10/23/2005) Please help!
This awesome looking wasp-like insect was discovered on the window outside my house.  I have searched your website, other websites, and several insect guides and cannot find anything like it.  It somewhat resembles a mayfly and has three long whip-like tails protruding from its back section, but I'm pretty sure it's not one.  Can you help me identify this fascinating insect? 
Thanks,
Andrea



Hi Andrea,
Nice collection. This is a Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa.

Giant Ichneumon
(10/20/2005) Bug in Kansas City
What is this bug?  We are thinking either a crane fly or scorpion fly.  Is it poisonous?  Please let us know.
Thanks,
Bob Hamilton



Hi Bob,
The Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata is neither poisonous, nor does it sting.

Braconid Wasp Swarm
(10/18/2005) Wasp? Fabulous site! Thank you in advance, too! These wasps (?) flew in last night (10/17/05) and swarmed all over just one dying fir tree, they weren't on any other tree on the property, and they’re gone today. There is a long, 2-3 inches, thin antenna like thing coming out of the back end and they were using it to probe into the cracks of the tree bark.
Sharla Swinney
Willits California , Mendocino County,
California, USA



Hi Sharla,
This is some species of Ichneumon, a wasp relative. The females use that long ovipositor to deposit eggs deep in the wood. Ichneumons are parasitic wasps and your unidentified species was laying eggs that will devour wood boring larvae that have probably infested the dying tree. Fascinating image.

Eric Eaton's Correction: (10/20/2005)
"The ichneumon swarm is actually a bunch of braconid wasps.  VERY easy to confuse the two, especially in this case because so few braconids are parasitic on wood borers. "

Hoard of Giant Ichneumons
(09/28/2005) Help
Please tell me what these are and if I should be concerned about small children in the area.  They have been hanging out on a wood pile of recently cut trees.  As you can see they have a long spikey tail, some have purple wings and some don't.  They sometimes swarm if you get too close.  We call them freaky bugs cause they are freaking us out!  Please help.
NC
Southeastern Pennsylvania



Hi NC,
This is a Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa and it is a beneficial insect, not at all dangerous to you or your children. They are parasitic wasps that do not sting. Eggs are laid deep in the wood where the larval food source, wood boring insects live. Your wood pile must be infested with wood boring insects to attract such a hoard of Ichneumons.

Giant Ichneumon
(09/18/2005) What is it?
Hi "bugman"
We have seen this bug several times, however not until a week ago did we have a camera ready to photograph it.  Can you help us to identify it?  It is in the process of laying eggs, or so we believe.  We can almost see through it and it appears to have a "rod" in its tail end coming right through and into the bark of the tree.  Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time.
Rose Dubay



Hi Rose
This is a Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa, probably Megarhyssa macrurus. This is a female parasytic wasp that lays her eggs in the burrows of wood boring grubs. The Wasp cannot sting people and is beneficial.

Megarhyssa in Britain
(09/17/2005) Is this a Giant Ichneumon?
Hello there.
Great site. I had this bug on my windscreen for two hundred miles un a journy between my house and my parents. Have asked friends but none of them has ever seen one before. looking at your site I presume it is a Giant Ichneumon? Do you know if they are very common in England?
Thanks
Rob Powley



Hi Rob,
We spent some time searching for information and cannot determine if Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa are native to England, but we did find some information about them being imported to use as biological controls for wood boring larvae. This is a Megarhyssa, but we are not sure of the species.

Giant Ichneumon
(09/09/2005) What is this bug?
My neighbor showed these to me and wanted to know what they are. He showed me a tree in his yard that has small round holes in it. The bark is falling off where the holes are and the tree is dying. Are the holes being made from these insects or another? Could it be that these insects are feeding off of another bug that is destroying his trees?
Awesome site,
Dan Shope



Hi Dan,
These insects are Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa. They feed on the larvae of wood boring insects. The tree could have been dying on its own which attracted the boring insects, or it could have had an infestation of wood boring beetles or other insects that contributed to its demise. At any rate, once the wood borers were present, the Giant Ichneumons were attracted. These beneficial insects help to control the populations of more destructive insects, kepping the delicate balance of nature.

Megarhyssa macrurus
(08/29/2005) Giant Ichneumon
I figured out what this was by checking your website. I thought you might enjoy these photos from my back yard in a northwestern suburb of Chicago. I have never seen anything like this species before and almost crawled out of my skin when I saw them crawling all over a dead elm in my yard. The tree died after being infested with wood boring bees a couple of years ago.
Thanks for the info!



There are probably still wood boring grubs in your tree which is why the Ichneumons are laying eggs.

Ed. Note: (09/17/2005) We now believe this to be Megarhyssa macrurus which can be located on this site.

Megarhyssa atrata
(08/23/2005) Flying Insect
Dear Bugman,
I found this insect on a dead tree stump.  It is quite large with the dual black tail at least 3" long.  The bug itself flies, somewhat laboriously, and its body is about 2" long.  I found more than one and they seem to be trying to attract a mate.  They are  sticking  their tail into a 1/8" hole while puffing out some device on the end of their tails.  The head sure looks like some kind of wasp but I see no stingers. Any ideas?
GF



Hi GF,
Awesome photo of a female Megarhyssa atrata, the Giant Ichneumon, laying her eggs. She uses that long ovipositor to deposit eggs deep inside trees that are infested with wood boring insects. The eggs hatch and the larvae eat the grubs that are eating the wood.

Giant Ichneumon Swatted with a Broom!!!
(08/15/2005) is this a Pigeon Horntails, Tremex columba???
This thing came flying in my house this morning and scared me and my dog! i grabbed the broom and killed it! then brought it to work to see if anyone had see anything like it before. no one had a clue. so i googled and found your website and after looking around the site, i'm guessing it's a Pigeon Horntails, Tremex columba? can you confirm that? I live about 30 miles north of Houston in The Woodlands, Texas and I have never seen anything like it. Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks, Jeanie



Hi Jeanie,
While we understand how that long ovipositor can be off-putting, the Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata, is harmless to humans. She uses the ovipositor to deposit her eggs in the burrows of wood boring insects, the larval food source. With all the recent publicity about Asian Longhorn Beetles possibly decimating our forests after arriving in this country in wood palettes, the Giant Ichneumons might be our only salvation. I guess your specimen will not be providing any future generations of pest control.

Ichneumon species
(08/06/2005) A huge gorgeous bug
Here is a picture of a two-inch wingspan bug I ushered out of my house
in Mid-Maryland last night. Any clues?



This is a female Ichneumon. We are not sure of the species.

Megarhyssa species
(08/03/2005) Giant Ichneumon
Dear Bugman:
A friend pointed me to your website, WOW, really great site to visit, I have been trying to find someone who could identify this Insect, behold I think I found it on your website. It is a Female Giant Ichneumon, Right! Here is a couple of Pictures, this was on a Maple tree at my weekend place in northcentral Pa.  Let me know if I am correct, Please.
Thank you so much
Tom B
Allentown, Pa



Hi Tom,
Yes, you have a Giant Ichneumon female, Megarhyssa species. Thanks for the image.

Ichneumon
(07/16/2005) bright red legs, bright blue body....what is it?
Hello Mr Bugman Sir,
I know you are busy what with this being summer but curiousity about this guy (girl?) is just too much to take!!! Seriously I am attempting to ID it myself and instead have made myself aware of way too many spooky creatures out there! Please pretty please look at my picture!  Ok enough begging. Although his coloring is a bit drab now, when alive his legs were bright crimson and the body parts were a shimmery bright blue. He has two long curling  (Suess-like) antennae and two stingers? trailing from the back end. These started flying during May sometime into our house in Victoria, B.C. 'Course I am hoping that they are termites or carpenter ants - they don't fit the description from what I can determine. Please tell me they are something innocuous and just plain pretty, made by Mother Nature.
Thanks, in advance, for your consideration.
Ann-Marie



Hi Ann-Marie,
We turned to Eric Eaton for more information on your species of Ichneumon. He wrote back telling us that except for Meharhyssa and Arotes it is nearly impossible to identify the genus and species of Ichneumons from photos. These are beneficial relatives of wasps that lay eggs and parasitize many types of destructive insects including caterpillars and borers.

Irish Ichneumon
(07/08/2005)
Hi,
I found this bug on my kitchen window, had to take a photo as i have never seen one like it before. I live in Belfast N.Ireland and curious to know if this is a local insect or unknown to Ireland.
Many thanks 
Una.



Hi Una,
This is some species of Ichneumon. If it was from the U.S. I would say it was the genus Megarhyssa. It might be. At any rate, it is one of the Ichneumons.

Megarhyssa atrata
(07/04/2005) Giant Ichneumon?
After reviewing your site (having had searched through many bug books!), I think this is a Giant Ichneumon. Thought you'd like this picture for your website.
Patricia St.Marie
Massachusetts



Hi Patricia,
Thank you for sending in a textbook quality image of a female Megarhyssa atrata depositing an egg. This is the most commonly pictured of the Giant Ichneumon species. Your photo is glorious. We are thinking of redesigning our archive pages so that a classic image of the insect is prominently featured at the top of the page, and I think your image and letter will be at the top of the Ichneumon page for years to come. thank you so much.

Giant Ichneumon
(06/22/2005) what is this?
What the heck is this wasp-like creature? and will he bite/sting?  He was hanging out on our house in southern Colorado.  He is about 3 in. long, not including the (tail?). 



This is one of the Giant Ichneumon species from the genus Megarhyssa. It is harmless despite the formidable looking ovipositor.

Meharhyssa atrata: Giant Ichneumon
(06/12/2005) Bug in my garden
Hi there Bugman!
Thank you for providing everyone with such a wonderful website. Please could you tell me what this insect is? It looks similar to "Giant Ichneumon - Megarhyssa atrata" on your website. Thank you for your help.
Andrew - MA



Hi Andrew,
Your Giant Ichneumon is indeed Megarhyssa atrata. We have gotten several other photos of Megarhyssa species recently, but M. atrata is distinctly black with a yellow head and legs. Thank you for adding to our site and also thank you for your kind words.

Megarhyssa macrurus laying eggs!!
(06/05/2005)
Would you please help me out and let me know what insect this is.  I have attached several photos. The photos were taken of one that was approximately the size of a silverdollar not including the tail which appeared to be about 5 inches long.  There are many others in all sizes.   I am concerned that these will bite or sting.
Thank you for your time.
Heather Hamilton



Hi Heather,
Wow, great photos of a female Megarhyssa species laying eggs. This is one of the Giant Ichneumons. The female uses that long ovipositor to deposit eggs deep inside wood that is being parasitized by boring grubs. We got another photo from Jared in Columbus Ohio two days ago and while we were in Youngstown Ohio this week, we saw one flying aroung the dead wood of Mom's dogwood tree. They will not sting.

Ed. Note: (09/17/2005) We now believe this to be Megarhyssa macrurus which can be located on this site.

Megarhyssa atrata
(06/05/2005) Big bug, Chicago IL area
Hello,
I hope you can help, this is the biggest bug I've seen around here - okay, insect.  It's a flying insect, yellow legs, about 1.2" - 1.5" long (not counting antennae), with a huge "tail", probably 4" long -
actually some kind of boring tool.  There were several of these flying insects on a tree, looked like an elm that died within the last year (top branches' bark were coming off, but not the lower trunk yet, where these bugs were), and they were boring holes into the tree, I assume to lay eggs, although that tail was too thin for eggs it looked like.  The tail at first glance was one long tail, but then you could see there were a couple parts to it that were often kept together. I'm including two pictures, one a profile while it was boring into the tree, another after it flew into the leaves, and you can see its tail hanging down and just how long that is.  Some of them had different shaped/colored thingies on the end of their abdomen, this one had the clear/silver disc thing. My immediate concern was an Asian long-horned beetle or emerald ash borer, but it was neither of those (also big bugs, with long appendages), so I assume it's not something too nasty.
Rob



Hi Rob,
What a colorfly descriptive account of the egg laying process of a Giant Ichneumon, in your case Megarhyssa atrata. Her young will feed on the boring insects inside the dead elm tree, insects which might even be responsible for the tree's demise, so the Ichneumon will help prevent a future tree loss.

Giant Ichneumon: Megarhyssa species
(06/03/2005) Unidentified bug
Hi, I live near Columbus, Ohio.  I saw the attached wasp looking insect on my back porch.  It has a very long tail attached.  I've never seen anything like it before.  Any idea what it is?
Thanks,
Jared



Hi Jared,
You have sent in a photo of a Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa species. This is a harmless wasp, in your case a female. She uses that long ovipositor to lay an egg on a wood boring grub. Her young then feeds off the grub.

Ichneumon species
(11/08/2004) Bug
Hello!
I found an insect living with me a couple of days ago in my California condo which is nestled against a small, grassy hill. At first, I avoided it - I am very afraid of insects, but I have no desire to harm them. Then I became more and more curious because I've never seen anything like it before. It looks like a fly's torso put onto an orange, wasp-like body! It's about 1 inch long. I overcame my fear enough to trap it and take a few photos for you. What is it?
Best regards,
Lyndie Chiou



Hi Lyndie,
The reason your Ichneumon looks like a wasp is because they are related, though Ichneumons do not sting. What looks like a stinger is in fact the ovipositor, the egg laying organ of the female Ichneumon. She uses the ovipositor to deposit eggs inside the bodies of her host insects, often caterpillars, and the young Ichneumon will eat the prey alive from the inside. Ichneumons are important in the biological control of insect pests, so they are beneficial.

Giant Ichneumon
(10/11/2004) I couldn't find this one on your site.
Dear Bugman,
I would like to know what this bug is. My location is Sugar Land, Texas. The length of the two bricks total 6 inches. The 4 inch long needle like stinger is the most alarming part of the bug.
John



Hi John,
You have one of the Giant Ichneumons, Megarhyssa species. The female has a long ovipositor that she uses to lay eggs deep inside wood that is infested with wood boring grubs. They young Ichneumon feeds on the grubs. Though she is a wasp, the female Ichneumon doesn't sting, despite the formidible looking "stinger" which is like an egg-laying syringe.

Short Tailed Ichneumon
(09/05/2004)help please? What’s this bug?
Found in Danville, California in a kitchen in late afternoon, for whatever that’s all worth.  Can’t find a closely matching description anywhere.  The antennae are extremely long, about the same length as its hind legs.
Thanks!
Ethan Filner



Hi Ethan,
You have sent in a very interesting photograph of a Short Tailed Ichneumon, Ophion species. Large specimens get to close to an inch in length, not counting the long antennae. Adults drink nectar and larvae eat the internal tissues of caterpillars, hence they are beneficial. They are actually a type of Wasp, but do not sting. They are attracted to artificial lights, which might explain the presence in your kitchen.

Giant Ichneumon
(08/03/2004) What kind of insect is this?
Hello!  I found this insect at my house located in Central PA.  I think that it may be some sort of dragonfly.  What is it?
Thanks!
Eileen



Hi Eileen,
Thanks for sending in the great photos of Megarhyssa atrata, the Giant Ichneumon. Your female wasp uses that long ovipositor to deposit eggs deep inside living trees. Her young seek out and devour boring insects like sawflies. Though it looks dangerous, she will not sting you, despite being a type of wasp.

Ichneumon Wasp
(07/07/2004)
Hi. I wonder if you could let me know what these are, I live in the UK, and have looked up several books and Web sites but can't seem to find them.
Thanks
Eric



Hi Eric,
It is a species of Ichneumon Wasp. They usually parasitize caterpillars among other insects

WHAT IS THIS THING? Ichneumon Wasp
(10/9/2003) Bugman
I work in Medina Ohio and one of My Marines found this bug and we would like to know what it is?? It is about 4 inchs long thank for any help you can give.
SSgt Horton USMC

Dear SSgt Horton,
Your Marines have captured a female Ichneumon Wasp (Meharhyssa species).  That long "stinger" is in fact her ovipositor, and she locates wood boring grubs inside trees with her acute hearing, and penetrates the wood with the ovipositor, depositing an egg near the living grub.  The egg hatches and has a living dinner, feasting on the grub until the grub dies from the parasite.  We have additional information in our Buggy Biography section as well as on the wasp page of www.whatsthatbug.com.  Thank you for the great photo. 

Dear Bugman:
        I live in the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California, and for the last week or two we have had a new kind of bug flying in large numbers around our house. I've included some pictures of them so that you know what they look like (I apologize if the size of the e-mail causes any problems for you.) At first we thought they were just mosquito hawks, but on further examination they are much uglier. They are nocturnal and attracted to light, and we have perhaps a dozen a night or more swarming around our outside lights, and usually a few that get inside the house. They are about an inch to an inch and a half in length, and are one of the more disturbing bugs I've seen. They don't seem to match up with any of the pictures I found of termites or flying ants, but I really want to know if they are since that would be a big problem for the house! At about the same time these bugs appeared, there also have cropped up a couple of spots on the lawn where the dirt looks almost bubbly - I have no idea if that's related, but I thought it may be some kind of nest. Please let me know what kind of bug this is so I can stop worrying or get rid of them, whichever is appropriate.
       Thank you very much.
       Helga

Dear Helga,
     Seldom do we get such a concise description accompanied by such wonderful documentation.  There is no speculation regarding my identification.  You have a species of Ichneumon wasp, Family Ichneumonidae.  These are small solitary wasps which have smaller and slenderer bodies and legs than social and semi-social types. The abdomen is compressed from side to side.  Some species are as small as gnats, and the larger ones are up to an inch in length.  The specimen you photographed belongs to the genus Ophion.  All Ichneumons are parasitic on other insects, and many feed on caterpillars.  According to Hogue, "The eggs are inserted into the body of the host by means of the females short sharp ovipositor (which incidentally can penetrate human skin).  The larvae feed on the internal tissues and, when mature, pupate within the host."  They are important biological controls for many agricultural pests.  Your possible nest is obviously something else.  The adults are often attracted to lights at night.

Thank you very much.  Now I can stop worrying. :)
Helga

(7/18/2003)
I was outside this morning at about 8:00 am. I live in West Virginia. I happened to look at the corner o my house near where my gas meter is and saw a real strange bug sitting on the wall. It was very dark blue or black had a body that was about 1.5 to 2 inshes long ( approx) . Had wings that were about an 1.5 or so. Had a curved body. It also had this stinger or something ( not sure what to call it. That was about 1/32 inch in diameter and about 5 or 6 inches long. I watched it for a minutes and it flew off. It was so large that i could see it 50 feet away in the air. Do you have any idea on what it was or where i can find information on flying insects? any help will be great.
Big Bad Bob

Dear Bob,
Let me commend you on your excellent verbal description.  I believe it is a female Ichneumon Wasp, probably Megarhyssa atrata.  She uses that long ovipositor to deposit her eggs deep into wood where the young search out and devour wood eating grubs.  Very specialized development that would interest all Darwinians.

(7/26/2003)
I work at a garden store in South-eastern Wisconsin, and recently I caught some type of what I think is a wasp,  ITs all black exept for yellow legs, its abdoman is very narrow at first and strechtes into somthing similar to a mud wasp exept it is much bigger.  The strangest thing about this insect is it has thrre "tails" or entenas coming directly out of the stinger withc are aproxemiely 5" long.  I am stumped, what kind of wasp is this?

Probably a female Ichneumon Wasp, Megarhyssa atrata.