Pacific Northwest Garden Forum: Insect Mystery

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   This forum seemed to be the place to ask about a mystery insect. I took the time to register only to find out I have to post 20 questions before posting a picture. Here goes question number one: Can anyone tell me about this insect? This insect is both fascinating and creepy. Looking like a cross between some sort of bee/wasp species and a dragon fly but having a stinger, or tail that looks more like a needle that is tremendously long. It has been hanging around fresh cut fir wood. It doesn't fly very fast, but when it starts coming your way all you can think about is THAT LONG stinger! It has six orange tinted legs and two large antennae. On the side of it's long tubular body are bluish "triangle" markings. Would be so much easier to post a photo, but I hoped the description might be familiar to some.

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sherry none Joined: Aug-30-2010 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 1	Topic: Insect Mystery Posted: Aug-31-2010 at 10:35am
	This forum seemed to be the place to ask about a mystery insect. I took the time to register only to find out I have to post 20 questions before posting a picture. Here goes question number one: Can anyone tell me about this insect? This insect is both fascinating and creepy. Looking like a cross between some sort of bee/wasp species and a dragon fly but having a stinger, or tail that looks more like a needle that is tremendously long. It has been hanging around fresh cut fir wood. It doesn't fly very fast, but when it starts coming your way all you can think about is THAT LONG stinger! It has six orange tinted legs and two large antennae. On the side of it's long tubular body are bluish "triangle" markings. Would be so much easier to post a photo, but I hoped the description might be familiar to some.

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DebbieTT Admin Group Sunset zone 5, USDA zone 8 Joined: Jan-25-2003 Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula Posts: 4241	Posted: Aug-31-2010 at 11:47am
	If it's a cranefly it should look like this: If that's not it, you can host your pic on flicker or photobucket and point us to it. We are sorry about the 20 post rule, but it keeps pesky sp amm ers from posting unwanted stuff.
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MrJohn none Joined: Mar-25-2010 Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills Posts: 81	Posted: Aug-31-2010 at 8:55pm
	Maybe a mosquito hawk? Oh! I guess a crane fly and a mosquito hawk are the same thing. Edited by MrJohn - Aug-31-2010 at 8:56pm
	huh?
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greenmann none Joined: Jan-13-2006 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 534	Posted: Nov-07-2010 at 12:49pm
	there are several small to medium sized wasps that parasatize various bark and wood boring beetles and bugs that have VERY long, prominent ovipositors that would look very similar to a "stinger" but are basically harmless. My guess from your description is that it was one of these. It certainly could be a crain fly though, since you mention the wings look something like a dragonfly. Most of the wasps keep their wings folded at rest, though in flight they can have something of the same flight pattern as a dragonfly.
	Green Man Gardens design and consulting with a focus on native plants and wildlife habitat
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Garden Spider none Joined: Jul-27-2003 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 1139	Posted: Jan-22-2011 at 9:57am
	I'm late to this thread, but scorpion fly (Brachypanorpa spp)comes to mind. Ichneumon wasp is another one that seems possible; there are several species in the PNW.
	Barb
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