HUGE black hornet

RubyRose · #1 (**permalink**) 30-04-2009, 10:28 PM

Help Please, tonight in our house we found the most gigantic black hornet

. It was way too big to be a wasp and the double body was fury. It flew like a bumble bee, kind of heavy and drunk like. I have spent ages trying to find similar on the net and can't and it is now sadly becoming more intimit with the drainage system in North Norfolk

. It was about 4-5cm long and thick, not skinny like some of the hornets/wasp, and had a large stinger. From what we could tell it was black (or dark brown) all over, there were no discernable colour marks (red, orange, white) on it at all. It made a trumpet like noise when it flew which is what attracted my cat's attention to it. Can anyone help me with the name or what it is or anything?

: confused:

Deer Stalker · #2 (**permalink**) 30-04-2009, 10:31 PM

Hi RubyRose, Welcome to WAB.

By your description it sounds very much like a Cockchafer (a beetle).

Did it look like this?

RubyRose · #3 (**permalink**) 30-04-2009, 10:37 PM

Deer Stalker

,

thank you so much for your reply, alas - No. It was properly like a gigantic wasp, I just wish I had taken a picture of it before it was sent on its journey.... the stinger was not visible on the outside of its body, until it went to sting the egg flipper!!

and when it was resting on my lamp, I think it liked the light, its back legs seemed to be together a little like a grasshopper's.....

Ruby

charlieb · #4 (**permalink**) 30-04-2009, 10:41 PM

Sounds like it might be a wood wasp, a Sirex sp. They're harmless - the "sting" is used to lay its eggs in wood.

Ask in the Insects and Invertebrates forum

RubyRose · #5 (**permalink**) 30-04-2009, 10:44 PM

thank you thank you I will go there now. Ruby

RubyRose · #6 (**permalink**) 30-04-2009, 10:45 PM

Yes Yes I think it might be a wood wasp, poor little very very scary critter!

pigtails64 · #7 (**permalink**) 26-06-2009, 09:52 PM

Hi, last night my cat brought in a huge bug which my boyfriend thinks is a hornet but only think is it wasnt yellow and black and like a giant wasp but was definitely huge and scary..and noisy.. It was about 2.5 inches i think and about 1cm wide, its wings were perhaps 2 inches each. But its body was more black and orangey/pinky/red striped. Looks like may have stinger. And idea what this might be. I have looked up pictures of wood wasps and nothing looks like this!! I have two pics although they are not terribly clear as one was taken last night after boyfriend threw it out and other was after it died and is jar til I work out what it is!

RubyRose · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2010, 01:19 PM

Hi, some of you may remember this thread, anyway we have just returned back from a week away and found another black bee, this one was dead on its own and I have kept it and taken a picture, it is exactly the same as the last one and I would love to know what it is if you could help I would be grateful. Thank you in anticipation. Julia

P.S. I will add a picture shortly