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| 1 | 2 |  » Stats |
Members: 50,155
Threads: 82,348
Posts: 853,246
Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, Bluepjs | |  | 
19-09-2010, 11:10 AM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2
| | | Unidentified insect
 
This insect was found on the trunk of a tree (believed to be a Douglas Fir) in our garden in Bournemouth. From its appearance, it seemed to be borrowing into the trunk and laying eggs. Every so often, it would get up, search for a new spot and resume its business. This continued for what we believe to be 2 days before it disappeared.
Unfortunately, whatever it was doing was in vain because we were in the process of cutting the tree down (hence the sawdust on its back).
Hopefully one of you may be able to identify this creature 
Much appreciated. Lozzy.
Last edited by Lozzy; 19-09-2010 at 11:39 AM.
|
19-09-2010, 11:17 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: On the southern boundary of the Lake District National Park.
Posts: 4,582
| | | Re: Unidentified insect
Hi Lozzy and welcome to WAB.
I think your insect is an ichneumon fly - Pimpla instigator, a parasite of moth larvae. It is laying its eggs via the ovipositor which it forces into the bark and timber of the tree.
Nice images, I would get a second opinion on the species though. |
19-09-2010, 11:42 AM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London
Posts: 11,831
| | | Re: Unidentified insect
Afternoon Lozz, and welcome to WAB!
What would you say to the suggestion of a Sirex species - a Wood Wasp, Woodman?
Take care, Jason  |
19-09-2010, 11:52 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: On the southern boundary of the Lake District National Park.
Posts: 4,582
| | | Re: Unidentified insect
Jason's right, Lozzy. Apologies, I should've opened your images instead of looking at them in your post. 
It is a horntail - sawfly species and Sirex is a good call.
Are all icheumon ovipositors at the postior of the abdomen and horntails at the anterior? |
19-09-2010, 12:01 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 301
| | | Re: Unidentified insect
It seems to be a Woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, sometimes called the lesser horntail. See Horntail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
19-09-2010, 12:14 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2
| | | Re: Unidentified insect
Nice! Thanks for the quick replies guys. That looks just right. I suppose the tree would have been in trouble whether we had cut it down or not then. Quote:
Originally Posted by The Woodman  Nice images, I would get a second opinion on the species though. | Thanks! Wasn't all that easy to get them either. Was using the standard 35-200 lens that came with the camera, don't own a macro lens unfortunately. Needed a lot of patience to wait for the horntail to move to a part of the tree that the tripod could reach.
What should I do with the photos now by the way? They may be useful to others possibly. Submit them to the main Gallery perhaps?
Thanks again all!
Lozzy. | | |
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