Fearsome huge waspy thing - can you ID?

Question

A few days ago a very strange insect alighted on a leaf in my garden in Cornwall. It was around an inch in length, with yellow and black stripes like a wasp. Only it wasn't wasp-shaped - its abdomen was fat, bigger than a bumble bee; very smooth rather than hairy, and with what looked like a serious sting at the business end. Its wings were neither like a bee nor a wasp; more fly-like, rather delta-shaped. Unfortunately it flew away before I could get my camera.

I immediately thought 'hornet', but when I looked in my insect book it was nothing like a hornet - or indeed, like anything else in there! I sincerely hope that this thing isn't thinking of nesting and procreating in my garden!

Can you help identify this weird insect? I'd love to know what it was!

Answer 1

It was a were-wasp.

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

Answer 2

Learn to ID them yourself wit the help of these sites -

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

http://greennature.com/article1899.html

http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/life/a...

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

http://www.insectimages.org/

Answer 3

was it a wood wasp? I think it was....!! :-) but yeah they do look evil but they are hamless.

http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/gen...

Regards

Ben

Answer 4

Is it a hornet?..

Watch out, it might be an africanized killer bee!

Run!!!

Answer 5

classified as a hornet,they resemble bumble-bees.

they don't normally sting,but can,and is usually quite pain-full.

they have more tendency to bite,witch is also very pain-full.

although not poisonous,some people are allergic to them.

Answer 6

I saw a massive wasp like  thing in France that turned out to be a Hornet. As you're sure this wasn't a hornet the only other thing i can think of with wasp like markings is a 'Wood wasp' but i don't think they're very big.

  I'm no expert by the way,so don't take my word for it. byeeee  

Answer 7

hornet

stay away from it  

Answer 8

a solder fly or a deer fly