# Help Identifying Wasp



## Pieluvspooh (May 11, 2008)

Have just found a wasp in my office, at least I think it's a wasp... can anyone help me identify what kind of wasp this could be! Please excuse my ignorance if any of the technical terms are wrong. 


Can't take a pic as at work but here is a description:

1 inch long
5-6mm 'stinger'
Completely black thorax
Orange-yellow wings approx 2cm
Yellow legs which are maybe 1.5-2cm long
Abdomen appears to be totally black for the 1st third then three quite thick yellow bands broken by a small amount of black ending in the sting which is also yellow.
The head has a yellow patch behind and slightly below the eye.
That's pretty much it apart from it looks like it has impaled itself on a pine needle or something which is a bit of a shame if it has and I'd like to get it off before I let it out the window. Never seen anything like this here before so don't want to leave it for my colleagues to no doubt squash! : victory:


Thanks


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## Ozgi (Jun 1, 2008)

Is it some sort of ichneumon wasp?


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## iiisecondcreep (Oct 29, 2007)

I was going to say wood wasp (I think these are related to ichneumon wasps or maybe the same thing?).


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

it could be some sort of hornet, they are usually a lot bigger than normal wasps but the colour doesnt quite match up. maybe its a morph:2thumb:


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

iiisecondcreep said:


> I was going to say wood wasp (I think these are related to ichneumon wasps or maybe the same thing?).


yeah, sounds like a wood wasp to me


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Nasty looking stinger what ever it is. Would it be worse than a normal wasp sting.


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## Ozgi (Jun 1, 2008)

Slinkies mum said:


> Nasty looking stinger what ever it is. Would it be worse than a normal wasp sting.


I think with a lot of species of wasp like this it is actually an ovipositor and not a stinger. No need to worry! lol!


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Phewww safe to go back in the woods then.


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## Gomjaba (May 25, 2009)

My dad got stung once by a still unknown wasp / hornet species ... That thing was as huge as a cheap lighter and sent my dad into a hostpital for a few days (where the first few hours were in ICU). 

Unknown species to us anyway .. my dad got stung endless times by wasps, bees and whatnot (due to his job) so it wasn't an alergic reaction .. 

Scary sh**


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## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

The one in the picture is a sawfly, cant remember its name though.


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