Stacking wood in the shed and I have to say it made me jump. At around 2" or 50mm long it has quite an imposing look.
Harmless and though it looks as if it sports a really large sting the Horntail or Giant Wood Wasp is only interested in wood.
This is a female the large sting is actually an ovipositor. It's used to drill into the wood of pine trees where it lays its eggs. They take around five years to develop. Split a pine log and immediately you know if a Horntail larvae has been in it. The tunnels look as if a huge wood worm has burrowed through, which I suppose is the case.
Horntail or Gant Wood Wasp
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