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Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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Posted by sharon_from_ohio (My Page) on Sat, Jul 31, 10 at 11:34
| Hi All, I'm hoping someone out there knows what this is because I can't find anything close to it anywhere online! I live in SW Ohio and I see these now and then. Sorry, too chicken to get close enough for a photo! It is a giant 3-4" flying insect that resembles a bee - body is NOT segmented, but rather torpedo shaped - I'd say about 1/2" diameter. The insect appears slightly fuzzy like a bee. It flys around acting just like a wasp, looking at heat pump, windows, vents, etc. - hovers, lands, shoots off flying away. It doesn't appear to be interested in me at all but I'm not taking any chances!! It is dark brown in color and doesn't appear to have any special markings. I usually see them late afternoon and early evening when the sun is out and it's the warmest. What the heck is it? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| Could possibly be a Cicada Killer, they just started showing up about a week to ten days ago here in Michigan. They are pretty good size as they kill and carry Cicadas to their nest. Have you seen any large holes around the area with large amounts of sand around it? if so thats your insect. http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=cicada+killer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=G21VTLDqGIL-8Aafz6GuCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCQQsAQwAA |
Here is a link that might be useful: Cicada Killer google search
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| No, they aren't cicada killers. They don't have a hard shell body like that and don't have distinct markings - in fact, no yellow at all. But my boyfriend saw another one and did confirm that it has faint stripes all around its fuzzy body. But all of the insect is brown/dark brown - maybe even black. But definitely no yellow! The body really is cigar-shaped or torpedo shaped - no defining wasp abdomen or anything. And they are HUGE!! I seriously have spent hours online looking at pictures and reading descriptions of flying bee/wasp/hornet like insects and don't see anything even close to it! |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| See if it's not an adult Cicada. |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| No, it's not a cicada. There are lots of them out right now, but this isn't one of them. Cicadas look kind of bulbous and to me kind of beetle/grashopper like with big weird faces... this guy looks like an enormous bee or hornet with a long body that is all one width from beginning to end (doesn't even look like head is much larger than body, if at all). I sure wish I were brave enough to get a photo!! He's like an enormous dragonfly that acts like a wasp and looks like a bee! eek!! |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| When you get a picture, let me know. |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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I'm wondering if it might be a sphinx moth or hummingbird moth. You might try bugguide.com and search on those terms and see what you think.
Good luck! Tucker |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| Tucker, that's a darned good guess! I should have thought of that. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that's exactly what it is. |
brown carpenter bee
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| Chances are 9 out of 10 you are seeing a brown carpenter bee. They are quite large, even bigger than a bumblebee. The tip off is its interest in dark crevices. It is looking for a place to bore a nest hole. They are solitary bees and good pollinators. They almost never sting. |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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| Hi again! I just checked back to see if anyone else had any other ideas... wow - people are still trying to figure out my bug... cool! :))) I haven't seen him lately but I can't say that is a bad thing either. He scares me!! It is definitely not a carpenter bee... we have those all over the place too and this guy is MUCH larger than a carpenter bee and not as squat and bumblebee looking. He does slightly resemble the sphinx moth - that is close to his shape (although my guy seems to be more elongated like a dragonfly) - but not his coloring/markings. He really doesn't have distinct markings. From a distance of about 10 feet (as close as I was willing to get) he looked all brown to me. It was only when my boyfriend got closer that he saw the faint striped markings on his body. Well, I know it is nearly impossible for you all to identify something you can't see - but no promises on the photo if he comes back around... he is so scary!!! |
RE: Giant 3-4' dark brown bee/wasp-type insect in SW Ohio??
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Click link and go to the website.
Be sure to click on the individual photos to see a larger version, especially the image that shows a number of "variants" of the species (properly pinned and framed). |
Here is a link that might be useful: Sphynx moth (and other aka)
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