ichneumon wasp

5697  Hi, I’m Dave.  This fella landed on my windshield last night. I live near Edmonton Alberta Canada. It is about an inch long.

This is an ichneumon wasp (Hymeniptera: Ichneumonidae). These wasps all are parasitic on other arthropods, mainly other insects. They lack venom, but some species that have a short, stout ovipositor can give a pin-prick like ‘sting’ with it. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.