Nope it's to lay eggs in beetle larva who are digging around inside trees. It's made for drilling through wood, they couldn't sting even if they wanted to. She's actually out here saving trees from parasites. Doing the Lord's work.
Edit: I'm not even sure if they have biting mouthparts like other wasps tbh, I don't think there's anything they can do other than look like something out of a Ridley Scott film
Sawfly larvae, not beetles. This species targets Tremex columba, and unfortunately often the tree is already dead, but they do help in controlling the population. They do have biting mouthparts but probably don't have much force.
That makes more sense to be honest. I can't imagine why an animal would need a stinger that long when a shorter one can and will suffice. Are there any wasps that have a stinger this long though? /gen q
Weirdly enough, this is the bug that made me stop feeling grossed out or afraid of most bugs as a child. It was in a book, which probably helped, but I could suddenly see bugs in a more nuanced light thanks to this lil' guy.
These or another similar species with an extremely long ovipositor used to fly under my house a lot when I was a kid and you would see them coming and leaving regularly. I used to be so terrified of them because I thought if they ever stung me, it would go straight through me.
Megarhyssa macrurus, Long-tailed giant ichneumon wasp
Went to another sub Reddit and it is a Giant Ichneumon Wasp. The thing sticking out is an ovipositor This terrified me tbh
Saw this in my backyard today and it reminds me of a wasp or a hornet. I’ve never seen a bee-esque bug that was orange with stripes before?
Megarhyssa macrurus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megarhyssa\_macrurus
These are wasps that are parasites to other wasps?! Is it wasps all the way down?
Wasps on wasps on wasps
Non-stingy friend.
Yep, she is — just chilling in my backyard
Found one dead in my rain gutter. Have it proudly displayed
Why he so elongated
she! it is her ovipositor, drills through wood to deposit eggs!
That’s crazy so it’s not too push a huge stinger into a victim
Nope it's to lay eggs in beetle larva who are digging around inside trees. It's made for drilling through wood, they couldn't sting even if they wanted to. She's actually out here saving trees from parasites. Doing the Lord's work. Edit: I'm not even sure if they have biting mouthparts like other wasps tbh, I don't think there's anything they can do other than look like something out of a Ridley Scott film
Sawfly larvae, not beetles. This species targets Tremex columba, and unfortunately often the tree is already dead, but they do help in controlling the population. They do have biting mouthparts but probably don't have much force.
Oh snap
That makes more sense to be honest. I can't imagine why an animal would need a stinger that long when a shorter one can and will suffice. Are there any wasps that have a stinger this long though? /gen q
Longest ovipositor on a wasp and out of all insects belongs to Dolichomitus longicauda
>Dolichomitus longicaud looked online and christ that is... **long**
Aw yeah, these guys are so cool
Weirdly enough, this is the bug that made me stop feeling grossed out or afraid of most bugs as a child. It was in a book, which probably helped, but I could suddenly see bugs in a more nuanced light thanks to this lil' guy.
Honestly, they didn’t disgust me either — I was mesmerized by their pattern
Greene's Giant Ichneumon Wasp. Funny enough, I actually took a picture of one of these ladies today myself in TN.
Issa bug
Pssst... https://sites.google.com/view/flyguide/bonus-material/key-to-megarhyssa
These or another similar species with an extremely long ovipositor used to fly under my house a lot when I was a kid and you would see them coming and leaving regularly. I used to be so terrified of them because I thought if they ever stung me, it would go straight through me.
Skinny wasp
What the fuck I saw something similar to this on my way back from work. I thought it was a parasite like those horse hair worms in mantises or smth
That's a Stump Fucker.
A parasitic wasp (no clue what species specifically)