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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Cuckoo Wasps and Allies (Chrysidoidea) » Cuckoo Wasps (Chrysididae)
Photo#195099
HUGE stinger! Bee or wasp?
Copyright © 2008 vespula vulgaris

HUGE stinger! Bee or wasp?
Perry County, Pennsylvania, USA
June 28, 2008
Size: 2 cm
I don't know why, but whenever wasps get chilled their stinger comes out. this amazed me!!! thats a large stinger for such a small wasp!
it was found in my workshop, and was a bold little thing. it kept bumping into my head and almost got stuck in my hair before i caught the sucker. it did not allow for many pics even though it was chilled. anybody know what it is?

Images of this individual: tag all
HUGE stinger! Bee or wasp? HUGE stinger! Bee or wasp? HUGE stinger! Bee or wasp?
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Contributed by vespula vulgaris on 28 June, 2008 - 1:33pm
Last updated 29 June, 2008 - 8:19am

Not stinger.
The long, telescoping tube is her "ovipositor," the organ she lays eggs with. These wasps are stingless, but are parasitic on wasps that 'do' sting. When attacked by the host wasp, many cuckoo wasps will roll into a ball, their heavy exoskeleton repelling attempts to bite and sting.
… Eric R. Eaton, 29 June, 2008 - 12:15am login or register to post comments

 
cool!
so what kind of wasps do they parasitize? this one was investigating little holes in a piece of wood.
… vespula vulgaris, 29 June, 2008 - 8:18am login or register to post comments

 
Answers
You will find some answers in the info page for the family and related links. I just added a little more.
… Beatriz Moisset, 30 June, 2008 - 2:07pm login or register to post comments

Chrysididae
It's a cuckoo wasp of some sort. Not sure which species though.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6946/bgpage
… Craig Biegler, 28 June, 2008 - 7:40pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
----
… vespula vulgaris, 29 June, 2008 - 8:19am login or register to post comments

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