Black & yellow bug, what is it??!!

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radaress Warminster, United Kingdom Mar 26, 2012

Can anyone identify this for me. Was wondering if it is the creature responsible for the offspring that eat my strawberry plants!

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LadyAshleyR Oakland, MD Mar 26, 2012

that's a hunting wasp of some type.
if anything it and its offspring eat your pests ;)

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Mar 26, 2012

Parasitic wasp in family Ichneumonidae - there are many species that can look like this one, such as http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/136007771

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radaress Warminster, United Kingdom Mar 26, 2012

Many thanks for your help. If possible could anyone let me know what the larva, eggs etc of this insect look like?

This message was edited Mar 27, 2012 7:27 AM

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LadyAshleyR Oakland, MD Mar 27, 2012

ichneumons are parasitic wasps. they generally inject their eggs into a host, and the host is eaten from the inside out. some species also drill into trees infected with host larvae, and inject their eggs into the larvae in those.
It's not a pretty process, but its effective.
Not something I think you would notice though.

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Mar 27, 2012

Unless you dissect a lot of insects, the chances are that you would never see eggs or larvae of these wasps as the vast majority of these wasps lay their eggs in their host, where the larva develops - see http://duanegraham.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/wasp_01.jpg for an example.

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