Too big and not furry enough for a wool carder bee as far as I can see. Also not furry enough and markings are wrong for a British native hornet, even a queen.
Have been out all morning & just come in & logged on. I agree it is a sawfly. This is a pic I have just taken off Google images. not my pic: copyright is for 'A Dale' but that detail hasn't shown for some reason.
I had one lay its eggs on one of my gooseberry bushes a few years ago. You wouldn't believe how quickly a batch of sawfly grubs can consume every piece of foliage on a bush.
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Nutcutlet, Could it be a queen wasp. I have seen hornets in the past and they didn't look like that, I don't think.
As to the top pictures, are you sure it was 2 inches long, that is mighty!
MDW It looks like the European wool carder bee Anthidium manicatum to me.
Too big and not furry enough for a wool carder bee as far as I can see. Also not furry enough and markings are wrong for a British native hornet, even a queen.
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/collections/our-collections/vespa-crabro/taxonomy/index.html
I suggest you contact the Natural History Museum, emailing them your picture - they will have an idea I'm sure, even from a blurry photo,
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We are assuming that you live in Britain, mdw84: you aren't going to tell us that you are in Guatemala or the Congo, are you?
mdw84 - sorry, I can't place your bug.
nutcutlet - maybe yours is a sawfly - http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/sawflies.html.
It is using Batesian mimicry to deter predators.
Peter, I had wondered about a sawfly. The body shape is all wrong for the wasp family (no waist) but nothing quite like that one in my book.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I've had a good look at that Peter and I think you're right,
. Thanks
In the sticks near Peterborough
nutcutlet, you're welcome
Hi Nutcutlet,
Have been out all morning & just come in & logged on. I agree it is a sawfly. This is a pic I have just taken off Google images. not my pic: copyright is for 'A Dale' but that detail hasn't shown for some reason.
I had one lay its eggs on one of my gooseberry bushes a few years ago. You wouldn't believe how quickly a batch of sawfly grubs can consume every piece of foliage on a bush.
It's a lovely insect, I shall have to check the figworts for larvae.
In the sticks near Peterborough