Weird bug with the devil's stinger

[Cindi]

Wow, what a wierd bug I saw yesterday, right beside the apiary on the livestock wire.  It was quite cool out still and I think it was resting.  So I picked it up with a blade of grass and put it on an inner cover to have a better look, as always, my trusty camera in hand.

Curious, any guesses on what this bug is?  Have the best and wonderful day, beauty of a life.  Cindi

[UtahBees]

Hi Cindi!

Google is your friend I googled "long-tailed flying bug" and got the following:

http://whatsthatbug.com/ichneumons.html

This is one of the Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa, probably Megarhyssa macrurus. Giant Ichneumons are non-stinging relatives of wasps. This female is ovipositing. The long stingerlike "tail" is her ovipositor and it enables her to lay eggs deep in borer infested wood. The food for the young Megarhyssa is the larval form of wood boring insects like Horntails.

Very cool indeed! Thanks for sharing

UtahBees

[abejaruco]

A beautiful icneumón. I know this useful insect. A relative of that variety is a "Phyllocnistis citrella" predator. The Phyllo ..."his father!", is a caterpillar that came from China and eats citrus leaves. The ichneumon babies eat that caterpillar while the Phylloc... are alive.
Really the Nature is everything, but simple...Definitivaly refined.

[Cindi]

UtahBees.  I am surprised at how vague the request for information when using Google.  I have bookmarked this page and will use it for bug ident from now on. 

So, that is the Ichneumon, I have heard of it.  Now, we have a bug here that looks very similar to the mosquito hawk, but is about 10 times larger, I thought it was the "Ichneumon" bug, guess not.  Now I will one of the years get a pic of this giant mosquito hawk, hold it....maybe I will google this term and see what I get.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, greatest of health to everyone.  Cindi

[BlueEggFarmer]

Several years ago, one fall, we had these wasps emerging just like cicadas, they were everywhere. They were so intent on breeding and laying their eggs that on one arm load of firewood going into the house a female arched her long needles in and started drilling down. Amazing!! We also learned that the boy  bugs do not have a very long needle at all, since there were so many around it was easy to tell the differences.

[Cindi]

BlueEggFarmer...holy smoley!!!!  That bug actually started to drill into the wood?  You have gotta be kidding me!!!!!  Doesn't it just blow your mind that it could be that powerful!!!  Have a wonderful and beautiful day in our great life.  Cindi