What is the name of this flying insect in Mississippi?

Question

I had never seen one before, until it flew into my car this morning. To me it looks like a mutated dragon fly but its no were near as graceful as the dragon fly. It has a shorter wing span and at the end of its insect body it has some kind of tail that comes off of its body at a 45 degree angle. What is this thing?

Answer 1

Insect images -

http://www.insectimages.org/

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

http://greennature.com/article1899.html

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

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

Answer 2

A Wasp maybe? They kinda look like dragonflies in a way..

Answer 3

It is probably an Ichneumid Wasp (sp?).  They are completely harmless to humans, and cannot sting.  That "tail" as you call it, is the ovapositer that it uses to lay it's eggs deep within vegetation or some other place that suits its species.  They are fascinating insects and are curious in their habits.  They also appear nervous and flighty, but that's just their nature.