hornet

[lozzzz]

Yesterday in my garden I was drive bombed by a huge yellow flying thing.It was about 5cm long,bright yelllow/orange and black stripes,huge orange wings,buzz like very loud bee.and had an orange "sting"sticking out the end about a cm long.can someone suggest what it might be.have tried googling insect identification but couldn't really find any decent pics.was it a hornet?by the way i live in Hampshire. 

[woofgang]

it sounds like a hornet to me but I am no expert if you go to this website there are pics that might help, click on "the insects" (top left)

[Jules001]

on woofgang's link, if you check out the wood wasp at the bottom, that has a long thing sticking out at the end.

[Cetti]

Probably a Giant Horntail or another name is Wood Wasp. Definitely not a Hornet as they are for the most part non agressive and the colouring is a mute brown and pale gold rather than yellow/gold/black.

The 'sting' is nothing to fear as it is the ovipostor of the female. She just uses this for drilling into pine trees to lay her eggs, although it does look make her look a bit mean!! I couldn't find any really decent pics on the internet - this is the best I could find. If it's not the one we'll all have to have another think.

http://tinyurl.com/5tvfw

[Cetti]

Although this site says common in Staffordshire they are widespread throughout the country. I've seen them a few times  in my garden (Dorset) so seeing them in Hampshire, especially near a pine wooded area is almost a certainty.

[mycatis]

It's a wood wasp, it wont sting you but damn are they scary !

[stokerboy]

i used to work in a wood factory and saw an enormous flying insect that sounded like a helicopter. when i asked what it was ,i was told it was a wood wasp. no further details i'm afraid

[lozzzz]

it was a wood wasp..never seen one of those before.thanks everybody

[dinky3824]

hi  yes it was a hornet. i have had 3 so far in my house, i have known there sting to kill a small dog, my puppy was trying to crab it lucky i saw it the horrid thing    jan