My daughter encountered this gorgeous metallic specimen at her preschool last week. It was alive when she found it, but eventually met its maker (through natural causes), which made it oh-so-much easier to photograph.
Check out that iridescent green and blue. Breathtaking. Anyone know what it is?
I forgot to include something in the photo to give you a sense of scale, but I can tell you this guy wasn’t particularly big. The stinger looks menacing, but he (she?) was only about the size of a small fly.
I have an idea of what it might be after doing some Googling, but what do you think? Have you encountered this insect before?
I always resort to http://www.WhatsThatBug.com for these situations.
Looks like a cuckoo wasp – what is it.
Hmmm, maybe cuckoo wasp doesn’t sound real.I was referring to Family Chrysididae (Cuckoo Wasps) http://bugguide.net/node/view/6946
“On police records a wanted criminal, the Green Hornet is really Britt Reid, owner-publisher of The Daily Sentinel; his dual identity known only to his secretary, and to the district attorney. And now, to protect the rights and lives of decent citizens, rides the Green Hornet!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIwsqFjfKPs#t=7s
My guess is that this is a Blue Bottle Fly – picture #430 in my Audubon Field Guide, but others match
While we’re at it, what became of the fox resting on a porch or deck?
Love the Green Hornet reference!
But cuckoo wasp was my guess, too. My daughter did claim to get a little sting from it, so I think the wasp part is right!
Wow, beautiful. I, too have seen that fox. The mangy, sickly looking one?