Please tell me if this thing is dangerous! - Neoclytus acuminatus

I agree

John and Jane are quite right, this Longhorned Beetle does not bite or sting and can easily be picked up and taken outside.

Mother nature's plan may have worked well here. This beetle has some warning colors similar to what a wasp might have. Thus you brain may have reacted differently than if, say, the insect looked more like a ladybug. The warning colors are basically false in this case, since the beetle is harmless. (It might harm a creature that ate it, but I am not going to test that!)

Nice image, by the way!

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com

… Stephen_WV, 24 December, 2005 - 5:16am

Looks like a long horned beetle

Cerambycidae, maybe something like Red-Headed Ash Borer - Neoclytus acuminatus. Can be found in the guide here

. Not certain what dangers you are fearful of. It likely lays it eggs in trees and its larva eat wood. An explosion of them might be dangerous to a tree, but can't think of any way they might be dangerous to you. One of the experts might know if they enter homes to overwinter, but if so, they're just looking for shelter from the elements. If you don't want them, you can take them back outside. Otherwise enjoy them, they're beautiful. So also is your lovely image. Thanks for posting it.

… john and jane balaban, 23 December, 2005 - 1:26pm

Thank you so much for your re

Thank you so much for your response. I dont know exactly what I was afraid of either. I know absolutely nothing about insects so whenever one is inside I tend to lose it. Thanks again, you have put my mind to rest.

… MarisaH, 23 December, 2005 - 1:36pm

Wise to be cautious:-)

Usually, anything marked that boldly with contrasting colors is advertising that it stings, bites, or is toxic if eaten. So, it pays to be wary! In this case, this is an example of mimicry: a harmless beetle is passing itself off as a stinging wasp.

… Eric R. Eaton, 27 December, 2005 - 2:59pm