Great Black Wasp

[dg2011]

Just been through a hive and found a large black insect sitting on top of a frame. Have been through Google and it looks like it might be the Great Black Wasp, though according to the info it seems to be confined to the US.

Has anyone else come across them?

Can post a picture if wanted.

 

[Karol]

Just been through a hive and found a large black insect sitting on top of a frame. Have been through Google and it looks like it might be the Great Black Wasp, though according to the info it seems to be confined to the US.

Has anyone else come across them?

Can post a picture if wanted.

Please post a photo of the wasp if you have one. Want to be sure its not velutina.

 

[dg2011]

Please post a photo of the wasp if you have one. Want to be sure its not velutina.

Ok - it is a bit tucked up presumably due to the bees dealing with it. I should add that it is about 20mm long if it was not tucked in

 

[Hivemaker.]

It's a bumble bee.

 

[Swarm]

 

[dg2011]

Not sure that is correct.

It is hairless and has a pointed tail.

Here are some more pics.

 

[gregior]

My guess would be a cuckoo bumble

 

[dg2011]

My guess would be a cuckoo bumble

But they are hairy

 

[Hivemaker.]

But they are hairy

The bees remove all the hairs and give the dead bumble a good polish up as it dries out.

 

[Karol]

But they are hairy

Can you lay the insect on its back and take a photo of its head. That'll provide definitive detail for identification.

Thanks

 

[Dishmop]

They cooked it too much..

 

[BeeJayBee]

It's a dead bumblebee. The bees have chewed off all the hairs and covered the corpse with propolis.

 

[kazmcc]

So that's what a nekkid bumble bee looks like

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I thought it may have been that before the photo was posted - had a few a couple of years ago jammed into the underfloor entrance of one hive - stripped naked and black as the ace of spades

 

[dg2011]

Can you lay the insect on its back and take a photo of its head. That'll provide definitive detail for identification.

Thanks

Ok

 

[Karol]

Hi dg2011,

The resolution is a little fuzzy but from what I can tell this does not look like a wasp. The mandibles are inconspicuous and the antennae are too short. I would have to agree that this is a bee.

 

[Bosleeu]

I think that is a Bumble Bee with all its hair cleaned of by the bees.

 

[victor meldrew]

Left long enough the eyes will polish a bumble bee !
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[victor meldrew]

Should have read bees, not eyes . Damned auto correct !
Vm


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[dg2011]

Ok - thanks for all the feedback. We will settle on a bee then.

I find it strange that it should have got in the centre of a busy hive.