Weird bug! What IS it???

[Jennie@ifish]

David told me to come look. I did. I thought it was a mosquito eater... you know, one of those long leggy things? But, David said, "Mom, stop! Look at it!"

So, I did and I'm glad I didn't pick it up. I was going to take it outside, but this thing looks scary!

We finally decided to kill the sucker. Man, is it ugly!!!

The thing on it's end side, that spike, is nearly 2 inches long! It tried to double up it's body to sting the window! I've never seen such a thing!

Anyhow, here are pics.

(By the way, though David cut it's head off with a fly swatter, it's still alive... both parts!)

[STGRule]

Okay, the gremlins are back. I can't see the pics.

[Jennie@ifish]

The bug itself is about 1.5 inches long, too, when it was not curled up.
Sorry, I messed up my URL.

Jen

[STGRule]

Weird is right. Some kind of wasp? Or something that survives by looking like a wasp?

[STGRule]

Does it have two wings or four?

[Norm]

I don't know what it is, but the only other one I have seen was on the Kilchis river. It looked like a giant wasp, but it does not look like it has a functional stinger. I was curious what it was also, but didn't have the guts to catch it with my bare hands .

[Jennie@ifish]

It has two wings. Not doubled.

[Jennie@ifish]

Thanks, Norm. So, I'm surrounded?


I swear this is the ugliest critter I have EVER seen. Now I can't walk barefoot and everything that touches me, I jump!

Jen

[BuKuBass]

I don't know the exact species but it's a variety of killer wasp that paralyzes its victims with a sting, buries the prey in a burrow and uses its long ovipositer to place an egg on the victim. When it hatches, it will feast on the still-living meal.

[Pete]

It looks like this, read about it here ... I'd definitely not pick it up! :shocked:

The long thing is an "ovipositor", which it uses to lay eggs deep inside a tree. I didn't know it, but it sounds like they also use it for stinging. Talk about a spinal tap!

[Jennie@ifish]

Pete, that is it! EXACTLY! And that's how it doubles up! I told you!!! I told you it doubles up!

Jen

[Norm]

I think it might be a species of "Ichneumon Wasps" . I have not found an exact picture yet, but some are pretty close to your bug.

[Jennie@ifish]

I've been reading about them, too! Very interesting bug! That stinger egg layer thing can bury 2 inches into wood to deposit eggs!

Wow!

It very seldom stings, but can deliver a powerful punch if it has to!

I think it is all very interesting and nice, but.... get outa my house!

Jen

[elkhuntr28]

This just reminded me of a bug looking thing like this that I saw when slamon fishing about 12 miles offshore out of Brookings. The thing I saw was a little smaller and more of a tan color. I swatted at it and it came back in a hurry trying to get me. Second swat sent it about 10' from the boat and it did not come back. Anyone have an idea what bug I saw so far offshore?

Nathan

[willierower]

Jen,

I call those things "Wood Wasps". I see them quite often. They are pretty harmless if you let them be.

Speaking of wierd bugs. I had fun with the guys at work last night with a 4 inch long beatle that wondered into the plant. Turns out I work with a bunch of wimps They didnt like it when I put it on thier shoulders :shocked:.

[Troller]

I cant help you either but have seen them out in the woods. We called them stump humpers. Hope that someone can come up with a real name. Their is a bug we used to see out in the eastern part of washington. We called it a winne the poo bug cause it look like a cross between tiger, a grass hopper and a scorpion?? Wouldnt touch it with a ten foot pole.

[Bait O' Eggs]

I use to see them all the time when we did a slash burn. We also called them stump "XXXXXXX" (word filter wont allow what we called them ).

Had a crewmate get the long sharp part on the rear end buried in his leg. He didnt have many good things to say about them.

[Fishfeet]

Yup, what Troller and BOE said. I used to see tons of them after lighting slash burns back in the 90`s. They do make you a bit paranoid till you get used to them buzzing you. Never heard of anyone getting nailed by one till now Bet it felt like a scorpion!! Got nailed by one of those critters once when I worked for a boat factory down in Orlado Fla. Makes ya hop around considerably! :shocked: Ff.

[pnwcoast]

I just seen one a them right here in Columbia City. Just now. Mean lookin alright.

[Gus Orviston]

ROTFLMAO

Yep, BOE that is exactly what I call them too... Stump Xxxxxxxx. Now who did I learn that from ? I smacked one on Firebreak 8 and took to to a ento..into...entomomy...ah entomologist...you know a bug guy. He called it a Hornet Wasp, I stuck with my Stumpy name.

Use to see a lot of them up your river Jennie, they swarm there so, in fact they swarm every where in the coast range, especially near buck country...so stay away.

gus

[Fish_N_Russ]

Sureee......just when I go on vacation and theres a 'bug question' (my area of work)

Its more than likely an Ichneumon as someone else mentioned. They are the largest group of Hymenoptera (wasps and bees), something like 6000 species known.......very important because almost all of them are parasitic in nature and most are very beneficial.

It could also be a type of Horntail (Siricidae) or Sawfly (Cephidae), but the long ovipositor is a characteristic usually of Ichneumons. Hard to tell in the pic but ALL Ichneumons have a very tiny 'thread waist' where the abdomen joins the thorax.

Ichneumons are a very unique insect family and have a lot of 'fans', some are pretty neat looking and some are pretty evil looking as well, here are some pics of others :smile:

Oh and BTW they almost never will sting unless you bother them........and no they dont 'bore' into you with the ovipositor :smile:

[Ryan Pultz]

Ichneumon is that relater to the pokemon my son loves them. rp

[LQQKASTAR]

i bet thos things are hard to put on a hook, considering you need to wear leather gloves and use a pair of chop sticks or better yet play stupid and have your buddy do it!!

[elkhuntr28]

The fourth pic down is the one I saw 12 miles offshore. Any ide why it would be out there?

[Jennie@ifish]

Why, TUNA! of course...
Bees like tuna, too.

Jen