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July 10-12, 2009
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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps » Horntails (Siricidae) » Urocerus » Giant Woodwasp (Urocerus gigas)
Photo#311738
Wasp Like Bug - Urocerus gigas
Copyright © 2009 Donna Hansen

Wasp Like Bug - Urocerus gigas
Hay River, Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
July 20, 2009
Size: Just under 2 inches
This nasty wasp like bug was flying around outside and landed on our screen on the window. I sprayed it about 10-15 times before it stopped moving. About 24 hours later it's stingers or ovipositor (wouldn't know which one is which) was still moving and the gooey liquidish stuff was coming out of one of them. I am just curious about this bug as I've only seen this once before, last summer. It looks pretty scary.

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Wasp Like Bug - Urocerus gigas Wasp Like Bug - Urocerus gigas
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Contributed by Donna Hansen on 28 July, 2009 - 11:56pm
Last updated 26 August, 2009 - 4:45pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request. Possibly frass, but we have only a handful of images in the guide right now...
… Ken Schneider, 26 August, 2009 - 4:45pm login or register to post comments

Urocerus gigas, a 'Horntail'
they don't sting... and aren't technically wasps
… v belov, 29 July, 2009 - 12:13am login or register to post comments

 
Horntail Urocerus gigas
Thank you so much for your comment, now I am just a little less terrified by them. Would you know if they bite at all?
… Donna Hansen, 29 July, 2009 - 12:19am login or register to post comments

 
they have quite powerful but very short jaws...
...to dig into dry wood, and, i guess, can inflict minor pain if you grab one a wrong way; i've handled them several times with no consequences. But, believe me, contacting with humans is the last thing on their mind; they are strict wood-eaters and only get into human dwellings by accident.
… v belov, 29 July, 2009 - 12:46am login or register to post comments

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