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Wednesday, 21 August 2019

Giant Wood Wasp

Incredible Farm at Lumbutts has a photo which looks suspiciously like Greater Horntail Wasp (Giant Wood Wasp) Urocerus gigas. The NBN atlas shows no records for Calderdale. This wood boring saw fly attacks conifers and is native to North Africa. The insect is harmless despite its appearance.
The photo taken at Incredible Farm but on facebook page of Michael C Smith who works there. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157171473706147&set=a.10156383348841147&type=3&eid=ARAC8RWaB_AlTK2fLOa1acrURL5qLuunuZoDfsZRO_KSqxDRWochACPUh-pGwj3gnB5ZMHS_LU2DsRN5Taken 6th August.

Anyone come across this insect before?
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2 comments:

  1. Bruce22 August 2019 at 10:10

    Hi Philip
    One of these was spotted and photographed early August in Illingworth by a neighbor 6th August 2019
    It was 2.5 inch long!
    If you would like exact details and photo then please ask.

    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steve Blacksmith28 August 2019 at 00:21

    I've only seen it (or relatives) a couple of times. They are magnificent large insects, a sawfly rather than a true wasp and completely unable to sting. In Chinery (Collins) Complete British Insects it's listed under Horntail.

    ReplyDelete

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