wasp/bee id

tonyr · #1 (**permalink**) 23-08-2010, 08:12 PM

fishing at a lake at the weekend i saw loads of huge wasp/bee feeding on sap from a willow tree they were about 1 1/2 inches long 3/4 inches accross looked a rusty brown colour they never bothered me but was just wondering what they were,one was actually eating a normal wasp,can't find any pics on the web of what they were

eucera · #2 (**permalink**) 23-08-2010, 11:03 PM

I would suggest the European Hornet, Vespa crabro. The colour and size are right and the behaviour is well described and typical. I suspect that the regualr wasp it was filleting was intended as food for grubs back at the nest

tonyr · #3 (**permalink**) 24-08-2010, 05:52 AM

just looked at a pic of this,pretty sure thats not it the body was quite solid and the back end was square no stinger that i could see,they just don't look plump enough

eucera · #4 (**permalink**) 24-08-2010, 04:52 PM

The hornet has no visible "stinger" and is certainly a wallopping great insect!

Visible "stingers" could place the insect in the group of wasps know collectively as Parasitica (various Ichneumonidae). Failing that (for a good wasp mimic) you could look at Uroceras gigas - a Sawfly