Sweet Lord what is this Winged Terror Thou Hast Spawned?!
Location: Juneau Alaska
August 1, 2011 8:03 pm
Hello Bugman. Attached you will find the best picture I was able to get of this beast. It was huge. A little bigger than my thumb (I am tall adult male, to give you scale). I was walkinga along the beach and this thing landed on my waist. After jumping around I was able to get it off by flicking it with a stick. It hung out on the ground for a bit then took off into the sunset. I have never seen anything like that before up here. WTF is it?
Signature: Scared Alaskan
Dear Scared Alaskan,
You really know how to grab our attention with a catchy subject line. This is an Elm Sawfly, the largest Sawfly in North America. Sawflies are non-stinging relatives of Bees and Wasps, and because of the family resemblance, it is understandable that you were startled, but the Elm Sawfly is perfectly harmless. The larvae resemble caterpillars. More photos and information can be accessed on BugGuide.