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| 1 | 2 |  » Stats |
Members: 50,153
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Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, Xalrahc | |  | 
22-08-2010, 10:13 AM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3
| | | Strange kind of wasp in my garden today
Hi. Can anyone help me identify a wasp/hornet/bee that landed on a bush in my garden today please? It was quite long (I'd say about 1.5 inches), had very large clearish wings folded back along its long body, which was strikingly bright yellow with a very distinctive dark horizontal stripe near the tail end. The colouring was overwhelming yellow with very few black stripes and it appeared very smooth rather than hairy llike a normal wasp or bee. On the crown was a large prominent brown and black striped cap. It didn't hover or even seem to buzz, it was very calm and just landed on a bush and stayed there motionless for a few minutes and then took off to sit again on the corner of my greenhouse. It's behaviour seemed more like a fly than a wasp and I've been searching the web for pictures but I can't find anything that looks anything like it. It was the distinctive smooth body with the one very dark stripe that was so striking and the large, fly-like wings. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be?  |
22-08-2010, 10:14 AM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3
| | | Re: Strange kind of wasp in my garden today
ps.. forgot to add I live in Devon if this helps?! |
22-08-2010, 10:30 AM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London
Posts: 11,830
| | | Re: Strange kind of wasp in my garden today
Morning Lindy, and welcome to WAB! 
Google the name Volucella zonaria, which is a Hornet-mimic Hoverfly. Though the description doesn't fit entirely ( but it could be a close ID!), the behaviour sounds similar.
As a second try, have a look at Urocerus gigas, the Giant Horntail - though a little less likely, I'd have thought.
Take care, Jason 
Last edited by Jason Green; 22-08-2010 at 10:33 AM.
|
22-08-2010, 02:02 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire
Posts: 443
| | | Re: Strange kind of wasp in my garden today
I don't suppose it could have been one of the Clearwing moths? It's a little late, but it would explain the lack of buzzing or hovering  Lunar Hornet Moth
Jo
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22-08-2010, 11:48 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3
| | | Re: Strange kind of wasp in my garden today
Thanks Jason and Jo for pointing me in the right direction! I've followed up all your suggestions and I think the pictures for the clearwing moth seem to fit more with what I saw, although I haven't been able to find a picture of one with quite the same striped cap. I don't think I've ever seen a clearwing moth like this before; are they very common in the UK? | | |
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