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Photo#419585
Winged insect with long stinger? - Megarhyssa atrata - female

Winged insect with long stinger? - Megarhyssa atrata - Female
Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina, USA
June 30, 2010
Size: 8 inches
What is this? It was flying around my front door tonight. It is attracted to the lights in the hallway to my front door. I've never seen anything like it.

Is that a stinger or ovipositor? It's about 4 inches long.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Ovipositor.
This is one of the Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa (M. atrata, I would guess). They do not sting, and are perfectly harmless.

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