Subject: weird insect
Location: Pandora, Ohio
June 3, 2012 1:03 pm
I was outside looking for ant colonies and I was moving a rock almost failed to notice this weird looking wasp or well maybe just a flying insect. It was all black except for a strip of red in the middle.
The thing that caught me off guard was it’s 1/2 – Inch long blade attached to it’s abdomen. I doubt it could retract this kind of blade, so figured it’s always sticking out.
Sorry picture is not the greatest as he decided to fly away and I backed away to avoid him.
Signature: Brady Blankemeyer
Hi Brandy,
Despite the extreme blurriness of your photo, we had no trouble identifying your insect as Ctenophora dorsalis, a harmless Crane Fly. We are visiting Ohio for a week and we are scheduling your identification request to post live to our site during our absence.