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A friend sent me this photo
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:51 pm
by Butterfly Gardener
A friend sent me this photo and I am at a loss (in my current drunken haze) to identify it. Help please.
Re: A friend sent me this photo
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:48 am
by Sooty
Bandalux vulgaris
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Re: A friend sent me this photo
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 6:30 am
by dilettante
Looks like a Giant Wood Wasp / Horntail? I remember finding one in my garden when i was a kid. Scary looking things!
Re: A friend sent me this photo
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 10:25 am
by MikeOxon
Although it looks fearsome, the Greater Horntail or Wood Wasp (
Uroceras gigas) is harmless and the 'spike' is actually her ovipositor. She uses this to drill into the bark of trees, where she lays her eggs. I took this photo in Fermyn Wood last year, while I was looking for Purple Emperors. They are frequently found on log piles associated with forestry operations.
![WoodWasp.jpg (80.68 KiB) Viewed 341 times Fermyn Wood, Northants- 11 July 2011<br />Nikon D300s with 70-300VR lens - 1/180sf/5.6 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_94eec6b9473da15a28e88781bcaf6484)
- Fermyn Wood, Northants- 11 July 2011
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR lens - 1/180sf/5.6 ISO400
Mike
Re: A friend sent me this photo
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:59 pm
by Butterfly Gardener
Thanks all.