What the hell is this?!

It looks a bit like a slightly exotic wasp.

The sports model, if you will.

Mosquito hawk, completely harmless to humans, dire enemy to the mosquito population. Also called daddy long-legs in the UK. Very delicate so if you try to get it back outside and appendages come off, don't be surprised.

Very familiar with old daddy long legs - he didn't look like that. Plus much too nimble and shooty zippy quick. Similar in size though...

Lured him out of the house with clever use of lighting...(he must have been looking for a disco...)

yeah, no way that's a daddy. Wasp Coupe, deffo.

Will someone tell me what it is??!!! It looked really cool! We do get dragonflys around here - baby one of them?

Might send the pic and description to www.whatsthatbug.com., they've ID some really weird ones for Caine and I, and they ID bugs from all over the world. It may take a few days, summer is their busiest time of course, and they have to do things like attend their real jobs and stuff.

Oo! Cool! Let me know how you get on , if you do!

Ok, some research has me strongly thinking what you have there is a male Ichneumon. They are a relative to the wasp, so Rich was right. The female of these guys has a very long ovipositor, they lay eggs in holes in rotting trees. They are mainly non-stinging and so harmless to humans. A few sub-species can sting, but I'm fairly sure the one you have there is not one of them, as I see no stinger.

It's a bug.

Silar:
Bang on - had a look at some piccies of the male version and that's it alright...
"This slender parasitic wasp has a yellowish or orange coloured body with a distinctive ‘waist’ and a very short ovipositor. They are sometimes mistakenly called flies, but they are wasps, with two pairs of clear membranous wings and long antennae. There are 1200 species of ichneumon wasp in Britain alone and this is the largest family of insects known, with over 60,000 species worldwide."

Still a bug.

But a very pretty bug! ;D

bit bug-eyed

it's beautiful

honk!

Come back Spoon Lamp!!!

so are they dangerous because ive had 2 sting me and they really hurt and ive only seen them at night and I can definitely say theyre not mosquito hawks which by the way do not eat mosquitos just roots

I wish I knew because it just stung me in the bottom!

I've been stung twice this year by one of those wasp. Has a burning sting for a few minutes then it subsides. Glad to know what it is now.

Just had one fly in my room. After dissecting it a little, I found it definitely has a stinger. Seems to be nocturnal, as it was attracted to the light of my television. Not sure what it is, but by the bright red coloration, im sure it has a potent venom.

one of these hid in my shoe. my toe has been stung. this is a mean bug. pretty, yes. but mean.

Its an ichneumon wasp

Its a ichneumon. Most females have a stinger twice their body length (but those are used for laying eggs). They both sting and bite so be careful. Ive been stung before, it kinda hurts but after that you dont feel it and its gone after a few hours.

I have one trapped in a cup right now!!

One just stung my husband as he was trying to remove it from the bedroom, along with a beetle . I hate this time of year

One has just stung me... didnt realise we have such an array of night bugs. Thanks to you all for identifying this little stinger... yup it sure burns!

Im from an urban area and Im not sure how this bug got in my apt but somehow i noticed a VERY loud buzz above me and it was that bug flying around my light bulb. Did any one else hear a loud voice or is that another bug that looks similar to eunormous red mosquito

loud buzz* imeant lol. excuse me

Had one fly in and land on the wall. Took forever to kill and it is a red kind of large mosquito. Apparently a wasp that bites occasionally. Lol

Had one dying on the floor of my room without anyone touching it. But when I was using a bottle and a bottle lid to lift it it was definetly trying to sting me.after I put it in the bottle it was trying to sting me thought the bottle. It was attracted to the light in the room. Asked around no one has seen one of these before

One just stung my husband as he was trying to remove it from the bedroom, along with a beetle . I hate this time of year Chlorophyllin Nasa

I live in the southwestern part of Virginia and this little bugger flew in the house from my porch. It immediately landed on my hand and stung me! It was a quick sharp pain more mild than a normal wasp but unpleasant just the same. The pain subsides quickly and redness comes fast and dissipates quickly as well. I found this forum trying to identify it as i thought it was a large mosquito

one of these things landed on my dogs in the middle of the day i was in rough grass and next to a woodon sat 12 dec 2015 what ir it

Jeeeeez these things! I've been stung by them so many times.... And am I the only one who hears them chirp? I haven't been able to find anything on the web about the sound they make.

think I just killed one. san juan islands wa state. cut its head off and it was till trying to sting anything for almost 10 minutes. clung on to my cig pack and was trying to sting it. might have stung the finger I killed it with, but have partial paralysis in my right arm and my fingers burn anyway. ha ha bug

Wow!

Just seen one in house in wichita ks and it did not want to die

I was just stung tonight by this insect when i tried to catch it in my hand as it flew in the house. Hurts like heck. Wish i could post the pic of my poor hand. Im allergic to bees too so this hasnt been a fun night.

I was just stung tonight by this insect when i tried to catch it in my hand as it flew in the house. Hurts like heck. Wish i could post the pic of my poor hand. Im allergic to bees too so this hasnt been a fun night.

Just had one of these fly into my bathroom, Freaky Looking thing, Took me about 20 minutes trying to get it off the shower curtain rail and into a glass. Glad I found this site and could identify what it was haha. First time I've ever seen one in the UK and ever to be honest

It's a Ophion scutellaris and iv just had 2 in my house bloody thing iv never seen them in uk before I'm in a town called maidstone

Just tried to remove one picked it up to throw it out and Bugger stung me finger it's now dead lol

I have one at my dining room window right now.... My fearless kid isn't home to save me! I suppose I will let it chill.... As long as it doesn't move

Just found this crazy bug sitting on the wall. Its 10:00 PM I live near the Puget Sound. Was quite a feisty bug to catch. Used glass she tried fighting her way out as I slid the paper under.

its a nocturnal lchneumonoidea wasp it likes light .we found on in our apartmet last nihgt.the funny was that my cat as tring to chase it.it was so funnny.

mine was at 9:45.gail you are right it is a crazy bug its gross

my mom electrocuted it.we put it in glass thing then put a lid and it was still alive .but over night it died

carl,neil,cindy,gail you are funny

i saw the same thing i thought it was a king mosquito

Had one of these in my room last night, thought it was a small daddy long legs so tried to pick it up to put it out and it stung me.
I'm allergic to wasp stings but actually while this hurt it wasn't too bad (took anti histamine and rubbed cream on anyway) and was fine by morning.
Had it trapped under a cup but still took ages to kill this morning!

I've never seen these until this year, I'm based in the UK and this is the second one I have seen in a month, certainly has a stinger and looks like it could be a nasty one at that

Just had one fly at my face and think my bright hair was a flower probably. Bright red and resembled a daddy long legs thing with the wings but just... red!?
Got that sucker out. Glad I only found out it’s got a stinger AFTER getting out the house...
Also from the UK

Heard it buzzing with light off. Turned light on and thought it was a daddy long legs. Went to throw out the window and damn thing stung me. Nasty like stinger and ugly red attitude but pain was only short and sharp. Resilient to kill but ended up down the plug hole ..UK again

Killing a wasp is wrong. It's evil. So many overlook insects as being worthy of life. Even many animal rights groups have positions that don't include the rights of insects. All life is precious.