I believe these to be the males of the stump stabber wasps. Since this site is full of gardeners I am sure you know of which wasp I speak. The female has the ovipositor on it but these look just like the female without the ovipositor. He didn't like red light from my digital camera. The photo was taken by the porch light, there were three of the wasps but am only showing one since they all look alike. Does anyone know if the males sting? Male Stump Stabber ( photo / image / picture from PillsburyDoughboy's Garden )
The won't sting you like a poisonous bee will. I have heard horror stories of the female digging into the skin and depositing eggs but I have never found a confirmed story of this. Only time I know the stinger was in someone's hand was when they swatted at it and happened to hit it just right. They are a fright when you see them but I have never been bothered by them. As for it being female or male, it could just be young and not mature yet. I haven't been able to find anything on when they develop the evapositor yet. But that one does look young.
Oh, that sounds like one of those urban legends that get passed around. Makes you wonder how some of them get started. The female uses her ovipositor to drill into an old tree stump and deposit her eggs into the body of grubs but it isn't a stinger.
They must be nocturnal because this is the first time I have even seen one before. I have seen a really pretty red wasp several times before with a long ovipositor but it wasn't a stump stabber it was a spider wasp I believe anyhow thanks for the info
