I keep coming across these huge mutant wasp type creatures in my garden, or should I say may cat does, she loves to swat and eat them.

I was wondering if anyone knew what they were, they are black and yellow and are around 2-3 inches long including the very long pointy stinger on their tail. There actually seems to be 3 spiky bits coming off the back of them.

Ideally this needs a photo, but havnt managed to MTFU to get close enough to one of them yet!

Could it have been a Hornet;

Giant Wood Wasp Urocerus gigas

some sort of wood wasp, big spikey thing could be the ovipositor

damn got beat!

Ichneumon Fly?

I thought that at first, but its bigger and the stinger/barb coming off the back of it is probably the same size as its body, along with 2 other smaller pointy bits. I have a really bad photo from my phone which I will try and upload.

I too have a really 'bad' photograph on my phone, in fact I have several…..

this looks close, but the stinger is way longer.

I think it is maybe a Ichneumon Fly

looks a bit like this too.

So if it is, does it sting, and should I let my cat eat them?

Pet Wasp

Some type of tree wasp, theres lots of varieties.

THIS IS THE BUGGER!!!!!

GIANT WOOD WASP!! makes sense as we have a huge wood at the back of our garden!!!

So, is it dangerous?

Not dangerous – when I used to fell trees for a living at lunch time with resin soaked chainsaw trousers often the dosey sods would try boring into my leg with their ovipositor. More alarming than frightening/dangerous

As long as they don't think your a tree then you're fine!

Had a hornet in the kitchen the other, exactly the same as the first pic. Scary looking things 😀 if they were any bigger id be shit scared of em.

They use the ovipositor to lay eggs in your brain while you sleep. Other than that they are harmless 😀

I found a Hornet's nest in the shed once, complete with a circle of grubs squirming away. The parent performed a funky breakdance routine to scare me away which was er, weird!!!

Fascinating and terrifying at the same time 😐

actual ovipositors = fine (unless you're a caterpillar)

modified ovipositors = stinging hurtiness

That's nothing, look at what I found…

😉

Ahh, the Namibian Elephant Hornet, noted particularly for the high-pitched trumpeting noise it makes as it attacks.