Bug of the Week - June 17, 2009

Each Wednesday, I post a photo of a mystery insect for you to identify. Today's bug of the week should be a fun challenge. If you recognize this insect, let us know what you think it is by leaving a comment with your answer. If you want a little help, I've posted some clues in the forum.

For those of you who tried last week's bug of the week, the mystery insect was a raspberry horntail, Hartigia cressoni. Though given the common name "horntail," this insect belongs the the Hymenopteran family Cephidae, the stem-boring sawflies. Raspberry horntails are pests of cane fruits (raspberries, blackberries, and even roses) in the western U.S. Congratulations to Mobugs41 for recognizing that the mystery insect was a sawfly of some kind!

Photo: Simon Eugster, Wikimedia Commons (CC-SA license)

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