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Project Noah Nature School
Rhyssa persuasoria
Any idea what this is? It is about 0.5" in length and has an awesome stabby device on its rear. I was sleeping and it ended up biting me in the neck and arm twice. I had never seen one before and have since seen two others in my workshed.
Residential areas
Spotted on Jun 26, 2013
Submitted on Jun 26, 2013
4 Comments
Definitely an Ichneumonidae.
Not sure what it is, but definitely not a Megarhyssa.
Definitely female - the stabby device is the ovipositor or egg-laying tube.
Usually other insects or animals. Like the Tarantula Hawk which is a parasitic wasp that captures, kills and drags the spider home and lays her eggs in it to be the food for them.
Looks like that's what it is. Thanks sjl!
Hopefully it didn't lay eggs in my neck.
I could be wrong, but I think the bug is female and the "stabby device" is how she lays her eggs.