Subject: Ichneumon in Pacific Northwest
Location: Lacey, Washington (Southwestern Washington )
June 30, 2014 6:33 pm
Hello,
I used whatsthatbug.com to identify some new visitors to my front yard. After finding in your 2008 archives what appears to be the same wasp as I have, I would like to share some photos with you to share if you wish.
Signature: Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Thank you for sending additional images of this still unidentified Ichneumon from the Pacific Northwest.
I just had two of these some how get up my pajama pants leg. I was picking things up in the backyard here in Mobile, AL prepare if for tomorrow tropical weather when I felt something like a Nurae who is not that great at putting IV’s in, jab into my shin. It hurt badly! I wasn’t sure if maybe it was and enourmas horse fly or fire ant or what! I slapped my shin real good thinking that should get it! Then it jabbed again!! I LITERALLY stripped out of my pajama pants right there in my back yard(the neighbors can easily see over our privacy fence) . I didn’t see anything at first so I began shaking my pants and 2 if these little buggers fell out of my pants. At first I thought it was a spider because all I saw was legs then I notice wings and though, “is that a may fly or a crane fly? Surely neither of those would have bit me.” So I got a little closer, now let me add that in the midst of I taken off my pants I also used my pants to smush the two bugs just hard enough so that I broke their little wings and just light enough so that theur bodies stayed intact enough for me to study them and figure out what had just jabbed my shin! . Where was I, oh yeah, so I got a little closer and notice that the bugs head was seperate from its thorax like a wasp. I came across the giant stump stabbed wasp, and some others but the color scheme of the bug didn’t match. Then I found this site, and this unidentified Ichneumon! This is what I had TWO of up my pants! Exactly like this! Let me just say that I am a chronically ill patient who has endure a LOT OF PAIN, and I considered my pain tolerance to be quite high, but these two little boogies HURT! Does anyone know if I should be concerned about this bite or sting or whatever??
Hi Lindsey – I know exactly what you mean! Did you have any issues after the sting? I got stun in the butt and the red mark and swelling almost covered my entire butt cheek! Days after the redness and swelling is gone but I swear there is a “tickling” feeling – mainly at night in this area. I am hoping it is just the healing . Any knowledge of humans being a host ?