Identify my insect!

One of my boys found a large (huge) bug in their bedroom today (crawling on his arm!), never seen it before.

Didn’t manage to get a photo, sorry.

It was long and thin, maybe 3cm, black but with white patches along the lower side of its abdomen. Its head was quite distinctive and separate, a bit like a mantis. Large open wings along its back, not covered like a beetle. It had a spike at the back, looked stingy but was probably for laying eggs or something.

My Google ability is failing me as I can’t find anything remotely similar!

When in doubt, come to STW 🙂

Melolontha  by the sounds of it, maybe like this? Basically a Cockchafer or maybug

Sounds like a Scorpion Fly to me.

Nope…

No wing cases
Straight point to its tail/sting/egg poker
Proper pitch black except for the white patches and a reddish tint to its legs

Pimpla rufites or slip wasp?

Red Kite?

Red Kite?

Difficult to be sure without a photo

Slip wasp close but not quite.

Less bright red legs
Probably a longer abdomen proportionately
Larger head, not all eyes and no substance
Obvious line of white patches not visible from above

Red kite?

Hmm
Darker
Less feathers

Mayfly ?

Mayfly

Ok, googling armed with wasp knowledge seemed to work! Pretty sure it was an alder wood wasp.

Amazing thing. Don’t know how common they are around here (Manchester), never seen one before.

Larger head, not all eyes and no substance

Pretty sure that’s my old Geography teacher’s Match.com profile.

I was going to say look at images of parasitic wasps, from the description. Next time if you get a photo, iNaturalist app is very good at suggesting species.

Thanks for the app recommendation, will take a look!

Amazing the things we learn from nature: brain probes

You win ten points for your attitude to discovering an unknown thingemebob and wanting to learn about it, rather than exterminate it. Hurrah.

Don’t know how common they are around here (Manchester), never seen one before

They don’t seem to be on the The National Biodiversity Network map https://www.sawflies.org.uk/xiphydria-camelus/
There’s a recording tab on the same page

Was it a Zaskar?

What goldfish24 said.

Was it a Zaskar?

Hans Rey’s bike of choice.