What kind of bug is this?

[jlow]

This was living in some elm that I split today. What the heck is it? I am bug illiterate.

 

[Alan Gage]

This was living in some elm that I split today. What the heck is it? I am bug illiterate.

Maybe an Ichneumon wasp?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichneumon_wasp

Doesn't look like the one's I see around here but I don't know just what they look like fresh out of the stump and the males don't have the long ovipositor of the females.

Alan

 

[Dix]

I've seen that before.

That bug was one of the leads in "Mars Attacks". I swear to it.

:cheese:

 

[Duetech]

I've seen them and their grubs in elm and in spruce, maple and bl walnut. It is not an Ichneumon wasp, They dont have the coloring and their abdomens are more stout and what looks like a stinger is too short (nice link by the way Alan) but I can't tell you what they are. They do bore some pretty deep holes in dead wood and seem to be "everywhere" in my area.

 

[fishinpa]

can't tell from your picture, but is it green??

(broken link removed to http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/emeraldashborer/)

 

[jlow]

It is more purple in color and is much longer than what the site says should be the length. It flies like a dragonfly and buzzes.

 

[Delta-T]

does it have big mandibles? could be a dobson fly? they get really big and ugly

 

[JustWood]

The dreaded "Elm Crotch Cricket" :bug:

 

[wendell]

I had a bunch of big, white larvae in some dead elm I was splitting back in February. I wonder if that is what they would've become if I hadn't introduced them to the Wisconsin winter.

 

[GeeWizMan]

I am not an entomologist but me thinks it may be a Pigeon Tremex. It is a type of wasp. Google it and see if it's a match.

 

[jlow]

It looks like the Pigeon Tremex is the winner. Thanks for all your expertise on this issue.

Thanks, Jeff