Unidentfied flying insect, orange legs, can anyone help?

kellie · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 09:44 PM

Hello my son and I were amazed at the sight of a two inch long flying, buzzing insect with a black body shaped like a earwig, orange legs and a scorpion type upward sting at the rear. Could anyone give us an idea what we saw?

Jonners · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 09:48 PM

Hello Kellie and welcome to WAB.

It sounds like it could be a scorpion fly. Here's a picture someone else took, from the Gallery:

Anything like it?

Jason Green · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 09:48 PM

Evening Kellie, and welcome to WAB

It sounds most likely an Ichneumon Wasp, and the long stingy bit is the ovipositor which the female has. She uses it to lay eggs. Google it to find images, see what you think.

Take care,

Jason

kellie · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 09:53 PM

Hi, thanks for the replies, the body was more like the scorpion fly than the wasp, it was long and slim and sectioned. Do scorpion flies have bright orange legs and buzz? Kellie

Jonners · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 10:00 PM

I've never noticed one with bright orange legs. There are several images in the Insect Gallery. Once you get to the Insects part of the Gallery, if you search for Scorpion Fly, you'll find a load of images and you can see if you recognise your visitor, otherwise as jason says, perhaps it was some kind of Ichneumon Wasp, which you could always have a look at as well maybe

Jason Green · #6 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 11:48 PM

Kellie, try Pimpla instigator, or at least a relative from the Pimpilinae sub-order. These are sometimes bigger than average, black in body and with orange legs.

Geoff F · #7 (**permalink**) 12-09-2009, 10:57 PM

Or as an alternative, try a Horntail (Urocerus gigas) the length matches, and the leg colour.

kellie · #8 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 03:35 PM

Thank you everyone, my son and I will be checking through the Gallery photo's this evening...

franks · #9 (**permalink**) 24-09-2009, 06:36 PM

I have, today, also seen a flying insect with a black body shaped like a earwig, with very orange/yellow legs and a scorpion type upward sting at the rear. it wasn't 2" long, probably more like 1". I have not ever seen one before. If I see it again I will try to take a photograph. The body was plain black not striped at all.