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Project Noah Nature School
Brown with yellow and black striped abdomen that curves upward with a stinger twice as long as the body.
Spotted on Jul 3, 2011
Submitted on Jul 4, 2011
5 Comments
Steffi's right, definitely an ichneumon. It looks like a Megarhyssa species to me.
Robber flies that I've seen tend to have much shorter, thicker abdomens and legs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asilidae . If it is an Ichneumon wasp, the long “stinger” is actually an ovipositor. Really interesting bugs, though I confess they look rather frightening.
Steffi you reached it...
Looks like an Ichneumon Wasp of some sort (maybe Megarhyssa macrurus?http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/2286/ )
Robber fly..?