giant wasp like thing.

[Sophielou10]

we found my friends cat play with a large insect.
it was striped like a wasp but over an inche long and as thick as my little finger.
does anyone know what this was?
a large wasp maybe?
or something else?

 

[calibanzwei]

Hornet? Bombylius?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombylius

 

[gregorach]

Sounds like a Greater woodwasp.

 

[British Red]

Doesn't sound like a bee fly to me - hornet seems logical

Docile things with a bad rep

 

[Sophielou10]

i don't think it was a bee fly as in all the photos I've seen it looks furry.
the creature i saw didn't.
I've always known hornets to be the same as hover flies, I'm getting the feeling they are different.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hornets are the work of the devil! sorry, but seriously think of a hornet as a predator of wasps, bigger stronger but quite similar in apperance, what you have described does seem to fit the bill.

 

[Mojoracinguk]

I have no idea how thick your fingers are.
If like mine then hornet...if like my better half's then Queen wasp.
That would be my guess based on info

Do Queen wasps leave the nest now to hunker down until next year or should they be a bit later?

dog's and cats are funny things...why they have to try and catch stingy flying things is beyond my grasp!

 

[Sophielou10]

Is the only defining factor size.
do they look the same?
because when I saw it I didn't think what a big wasp, i thought what is that.
so I conclude that their must have been something about it for me to think, that must be a creature I don't know.
if you get my drift.
when my brain saw it thought hmm that is not a wasp.
but you know my brain could be wrong.
I'm rambling now.

Sophie

 

[Retired Member southey]

wasp

Hornet

some good info here, might help to make a positive id.

a wsp will be around 1>3 cm long, where as the hornet is between 1>1 1/2 inches.

EDIT:give a sec i'll sort my post out sorry. sorted.

 

[Sophielou10]

i think i put my finger on it the dark parts were more brown than black. i think it was a hornet.
thanks for all your help.
especially Southey and British red.

 

[Zingmo]

Can I just reiterate what Red said about them being docile. They are threatened in many areas because irrational people try to eliminate their nests. In my encounters with these (I found one inside my glove once) they have always proved more anxious to get away than to attack. Watch and learn, don't destroy them out of ignorant fear.

Z

 

[JonathanD]

There are loads of hornets over my local heathland. Never seen so many.

 

[Melonfish]

Never once seen a hornet, never. seen plenty of wop's and all sorts of bumbles and honey bee's but never a hornet.

 

[slammer187]

Up my local mountains I've seen hornets and they're scary little things, One almost flew in the window if the car that I was in (Defender window close so slowly )
The other day a hornet or large fly type thing flew into my large glass back door, they can make a large sound as they bounce off the glass

 

[spoony]

wood wasp? did it look like it had 2 stings on its bum?

 

[spoony]

these are big buggers

 

[JonathanD]

I was stung on the dinkle by one of those when I was seven and holidaying in Bude.

 

[Retired Member southey]

What on earth were you trying to do to it?

 

[JonathanD]

Someone swatted it and it landed right in my lap. I was only wearing swimming trunks.

 

[Paul_B]

Hornets might be docile so the huge inch long wasps we used to see on holiday in France that were agressive and more likely to sting than normal sized wasps weren't really hornets like I was told at the time.

I'm afraid that I don't like wasps or hornets. Might have something to do with one flying behind my glasses when I was on holiday as a young kid (about 7ish I think). I did the right thing and stood still not moving but like wasps that go mad in thee windows trying to get out the wasp behind my glasses did that. I'm not afraid of them, even stupidly not afraid of them as I have picked up a wasp nest a few years after that on cub camp and threw it away. Well it was in the lea of a fallen tree that had made the perfect start to a natural shelter that we were expected to make without any instruction. Afterall back then cubs and scout leaders were just someone's parents who knew nothing themselves. You should have seen them teaching us to make and light fires!! I kid you not they used firelighters. Like you can find them in the woods when you need them. Spar own brand is found under every dead standing in nature doesn't it.

Sorry off topic but I'd have said at that size and colouring I'd say hornet first but what do I know. There are others who know a lot more on here. did the cat get stung?