"This was definitely it...the article says they havent yet arrived!
There were no spots just plain band of stripes, That was no ordinary hornet"
Lyn's original photo doesn't look like a hornet - the black stripes on the abdomen are too wide. I think it's a queen of one of the smaller wasps - maybe Common Wasp or German Wasp. Either Vespula or Dolichovespula. 2" long is an exaggeration. The idea that such a poor quality photo can be 'definitely' identified as a species never before recorded in the UK is laughable. It doesn't even look like an Asian Hornet, which lacks the black spots either side of the broad yellow bands on the abdomen - these are visible in Lyn's photo (when enlarged).
I had one in my log pile that I decided was a wood wasp, the length of my thumb with a sting about 1" long after that... I had time to work out what it was after it was decapitated (bit of a panic, didn't want it round The Boy so an axe through the head). Pretty strong reflexes in it - it wriggled about headless for about an hour. A wood wasp, no idea if they are dangerous or not. However its body was more slender than Lynns.
I guess it also depends where in the world you are, mine was in Glasgow and I guess some of the warm loving insects don't survive up here
Wood wasp is another name for a horntail - the 'sting' isn't a sting at all, it's an ovipositor for the laying of eggs. Fascinating creature, totally harmless to humans - she just wanted to lay her eggs in your rotting wood.
Wood wasps are fantastic creatures. I've seen them in my garden here, and the one I had round the corner. Beautiful thing. I'm south of Glasgow Steven.
As Dove says - it's not a sting. Hopefully you'll see another one and not panic.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
this is a beetle, we were growing oxeye daisy noticed this, could not find it in bug book. got in contact with kew gardens, they informed us that they have different marking but always in black and yellow.
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Lyn's picture looks just like the UK native hornets we often get in our garden - magnificent greatures
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
"This was definitely it...the article says they havent yet arrived!
There were no spots just plain band of stripes, That was no ordinary hornet"
Lyn's original photo doesn't look like a hornet - the black stripes on the abdomen are too wide. I think it's a queen of one of the smaller wasps - maybe Common Wasp or German Wasp. Either Vespula or Dolichovespula. 2" long is an exaggeration. The idea that such a poor quality photo can be 'definitely' identified as a species never before recorded in the UK is laughable. It doesn't even look like an Asian Hornet, which lacks the black spots either side of the broad yellow bands on the abdomen - these are visible in Lyn's photo (when enlarged).
I had one in my log pile that I decided was a wood wasp, the length of my thumb with a sting about 1" long after that... I had time to work out what it was after it was decapitated (bit of a panic, didn't want it round The Boy so an axe through the head). Pretty strong reflexes in it - it wriggled about headless for about an hour. A wood wasp, no idea if they are dangerous or not. However its body was more slender than Lynns.
I guess it also depends where in the world you are, mine was in Glasgow and I guess some of the warm loving insects don't survive up here
http://www.uksafari.com/woodwasp.htm
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Wood wasps are fantastic creatures. I've seen them in my garden here, and the one I had round the corner. Beautiful thing. I'm south of Glasgow Steven.
As Dove says - it's not a sting. Hopefully you'll see another one and not panic.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hi Lyn
Yes its a Hornet. I saw one the other week on a bin outside of Tesco's I gave it a wide berth
Regards
Jolly G
I'll look out in case it laid any eggs - the conifers I have need chopping shorter to burn so with luck they might survive the winter.
That'd be great Steven
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
this is a beetle, we were growing oxeye daisy noticed this, could not find it in bug book. got in contact with kew gardens, they informed us that they have different marking but always in black and yellow.
Poo.