Any idea what this bug is?

[nickaballison]

Was watching my kids play in the pool today in the backyard when this bug landed on my leg. Any idea what the heck it is? Length from tenticle things to end of stinger is about 6". Lived in Colorado my whole life and never seen one of these.

[Great-Kazoo]

water skeeter. Nothing serious unless they are stung

[SideShow Bob]

Insect Identification > Description of the Ichneumon Wasp Bee, Ant, Wasp and Similar

Ichneumon Wasp 
Authored By Staff Writer

CATEGORY: Bee, Ant, Wasp and Similar
COMMON NAME: Ichneumon Wasp
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Megarhyssa   macrurus

TAXONOMY:
 KINGDOM: Animalia
  PHYLYM: Arthropoda
   CLASS: Insecta
    ORDER: Hymenoptera
     FAMILY: Ichneumonidae
      GENUS: Megarhyssa
       SPECIES: macrurus

CHARACTERISTICS: There are several different species, each with its own color variations. All have the wasp body shape, a thin waist and an abdomen longer than the rest of the body. Members of the family Ophion have abdomens that are shorter than Megarhyssa, but they are still long in comparison to more familiar wasps.

Females may have a long, needle-like ovipositor which is often mistaken as a stinger. The ovipositor acts like a syringe, injecting eggs deep into wood where the larvae will feed on other insect larvae already deposited there.

Giant Ichneumons tend to live in wooded areas and throughout all of North America, though they do stay away from the arid and hot desert regions and featureless plain states.

Giant Ichneumon adults do not eat at all. Larvae are parasites of Pigeon Horntail larvae, another type of wasp, and receive their nutrients by feeding off the Horntail larvae.

Variations of the Giant Ichneumon include the Eastern Giant Ichneumon, the Lunar Giant Ichneumon and the Western Giant Ichneumon. These can all be found in their respective habitats consisting of Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. ADULT SIZE (Length, not including legs): 10mm to 19mm (0.39in to 0.75in) (Compare Size)

IDENTIFYING COLORS: brown; yellow; black; orange NORTH AMERICAN REACH: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Mexico, Canada

[spyder]

Giant ichneumon wasps

[02ducky]

Dammed aliens are landing, that was a scout, glad you killed him before he was able to report back that there is no intelligent life forms on this planet.

That's a freaky looking bug for sure!

[nickaballison]

Yeah you guys were right on. Never seen a wasp like that before. Thought his stinger was gonna go right through my calf

[cstone]

On behalf of all White Anglo Saxon Protestants everywhere, I deny any relationship with that creature. To state otherwise will be considered slander and you will be reported to our attorneys and most probably be barred from the club. Thank you.

[02ducky]

On behalf of all White Anglo Saxon Protestants everywhere, I deny any relationship with that creature. To state otherwise will be considered slander and you will be reported to our attorneys and most probably be barred from the club. Thank you.

Classic! ^^

[SideShow Bob]

Yeah you guys were right on. Never seen a wasp like that before. Thought his stinger was gonna go right through my calf

Not a stinger, an ovipositor.

So the wasp had sex with your calf ?

[BPTactical]

Not a stinger, an ovipositor.

So the wasp had sex with your calf ?

Bob, you have probably waited your entire life to say "Ovipositor" in a coherent sentence.
Your life is complete.