Any steers pls for ID on American bee/wasp/...?!

Dillybythesea · #1 (**permalink**) 14-10-2010, 10:07 AM

My friend sent these of a large insect - about 1.5" apparently - which she spotted on holiday in Cherokee, and I wondered if anyone cld help re an ID? I apologise though if it's just not on to ask about non-British insects, and if so won't do it again!

eucera · #2 (**permalink**) 14-10-2010, 10:13 AM

For American id's your best bet by far is to post to BugGuide (Welcome to BugGuide.Net! - BugGuide.Net) where you will tap into a lot of local expertise from many of the big cheeses in American hymenoptera

Dillybythesea · #3 (**permalink**) 14-10-2010, 10:34 AM

Many thanks eucera - I'll give that a go!

Dillybythesea · #4 (**permalink**) 14-10-2010, 01:42 PM

Just to add that a couple of kind folk were very quick to respond on bugguide.net -

Unidentified insect - BugGuide.Net

so it looks to be a cuckoo wasp called Scolia dubia - Digger Wasp/ Blue-winged Wasp. Everything tallies except the size - and perhaps these things always seem much bigger if they're waspish and nearby!