Subject: A bee like bug I can’t identify
Geographic location of the bug: Washington state
Date: 10/16/2018
Time: 07:22 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I am a 5th grade science teacher who has her students collect and identify bugs as part of our insect unit. This is the second time in three years this insect has shown up and I have not been able to figure out what it is with any of the North American guides we use. (Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, and others specifically dealing with the Pacific Northwest). The bug pictured is about 1 inch long with a wingspan of 2 inches. I hope you can help me identify it. Not knowing is driving me crazy!
How you want your letter signed: Rebecca Swier, Ebenezer Christian School
Dear Rebecca,
Perhaps if this individual had a head, identification might have been easier for you. This is an Elm Sawfly, Cimbex americana, and here is a BugGuide image for reference. Sawflies are non-stinging members of the order Hymenoptera, a group that includes wasps and bees. They have larvae that look like caterpillars.