Huge tropical looking orange wasp thing id please :)

Shootfighter2001 · #1 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 05:02 PM

Hey guys my first post as the family were shocked to see a big flying bug thing obviously intent on killing us from behind whilst unaware in its first stage of taking over the country and then world. It was possibly an alien of some kind but I thought I would check here first

Sorry no pic as it was off very quickly and I cannot find anything remotely similar online.

So it was around 2 inches long had a segmented body in 2 parts (like an enlongated version of a wasps 1 head part 1 main body) with 2 feeler like things coming out as a tail. It had big black wings and a bright orange body (possibly with black markings didn't see closely enough) and it was very solid not slender much bigger and bulkier than any wasp or hornet I have ever seen even the giant ones we get.

Any ideas?

Thanks all

Shootfighter2001 · #2 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 05:05 PM

just to add I am in Kent by the way (north downs).

Also it certainly didn't look 'British' either more something you would see in the med but that is the observation of a layman

Tursiops2 · #3 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 05:56 PM

Hi there, welcome to WAB
Was it one of these?

Greater Horntail, photo from the Gallery.
Quite harmless if it was.

Shootfighter2001 · #4 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 07:27 PM

hey there thanks for the welcome. No afraid it wasn't one of those. That appears to be quite a bit smaller than what we saw, also it was much more orange, almost day-glo orange (more orange than black also). The body was clearly split in 2 segments as well (almost like 2 bugs joined). Also the tail end had 2 prongs like big thick hairs almost.

thankyou for the help

charlieb · #5 (**permalink**) 13-07-2009, 08:51 PM

Just a thought - could it have been a pair in cop? It would explain the "double-bug" look and forked tail would be antennae (though I'm not sure if this is how Urocerus mate).