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echinosum · 01-10-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Name

Phil Gurr wrote:
It's long and black and thin - similar kind of shape to an earwig. But
with
a pointy bit on its bum instead of pincers, and oddly red legs.

They are quite ... evil looking things, really. And they have wings
(transparent) and they fly kind of similar to a wasp if you catch them out
of the corner of your eye.

Try the Ichneumon Wasp on Google

There is a huge variety in those images! But yes, I think you've nailed it,
thank you. There were 2 big ones and what looked like a baby one last time
I looked. Not sure where they're living, though, as they seem to disappear
for days then reappear.

Time to go read up about them I guess.

Thank you.

Now you've learned why "and it's got red legs" did not contribute very much to the identification, and "pointed end" and "flew like a wasp" contributed a whole lot more. What distinguishes insects is their body lay-out. But there are indeed a huge number of species of parasitic wasps, and many of them are rather striking, so when people see a striking unusual insect flying like a wasp, it is often what it is.