Sabre Wasp Rhyssa persuasoria

Apparently this species is also known as Giant Ichneumon, a fitting name given its size. They certainly are impressive beasts!

This one was caught in a net but was extremely active and difficult to photograph.

Sabre Wasps Rhyssa persuasoria, Snake Wood (Norfolk, UK), 27th May 2022

I watched several of these investigating holes in an old fallen pine or spruce tree in a mixed (but mostly deciduous) wood. There was at least one male and at least two females, but I suspected more of both. The females would bend their ovipositor rught underneath their bodies and insert it in a hole that was in front of them. The strong light and shadows made it really difficult to photograph them well - I took hundreds of photos and am not very pleased with any of them.

Sabre Wasps Rhyssa persuasoria, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 14th May 2022