This huge black bee was in the flower beds today. the wings are iridescent bluish green. It is over 2 inches long! I had to stake up the flowers it was in and didn't seem to worried about me, but I was terrified of it! I think all the bees were too drunk on pollen to care about what I was doing.
I don't think you have a bee there. Bees are short, chubby and fuzzy. That looks more like a wasp or hornet of some kind. Try whatsthatbug.com and see if you can find yours pictured there. If not, you can submit it to them for identification.
It could possibly be a 'Great Black Wasp' or a 'Cricket Wasp' but I agree with Toni that it's definately not a bee.
I am glad your wasp got id's gardenmama. Your Eryngium, Sea Holly is beautiful. I've never tried growing it, I think I will remedy that next spring.
I thought for a moment it was a black mud dauber...but I now agree that it is probably a great black wasp.
I never do anything to the plant...I put it in the ground summer of '06 and it gets bigger every year...2 times last year my honey weed wacked it down thinking it was a weed! The bees and wasps love it!
Well your right to stay away from it, let me tell you their sting hurts a lot. When I see them in my garden I got in the opposite direction.
We have those in our yard and many little mud mounds. I thought they were what they call Mud Daubers here in the South. gardengater
