What is this flying thing?

Hi all,
This has just flew into the kitchen.
At first I thought it may be a cricket but it looks a little more sinister
Sorry the picture isn't clearer.

 

How big is it?

 

I think its a wood wasp, harmless.
We used to get some of these in the workshop where I worked.

 

Looking again I'd say wasp but not what I first thought.
Doubt its dangerous.

 

@Clueless 1 v2 probably 2 inches max.
Thanks @pete

 

2 inches? I'd be running for the hills.

My first thought was a flying ant or some sort of wasp, but 2 inches is huge.

As an aside, bees and wasps are descended from ancient ants. I guess some of their early descendents chose a life of virtue, while some chose to be thugs. The former evolved into bees and the latter wasps.

 

@Clueless 1 v2 I did panic a little.
That's why I thought it was a cricket
I've had a look on the Internet and parasitic wasp seems close

 

Yeah I remember now, they poke that long tail thing into you and lay eggs, the eggs develop inside you and eventually eat you from the inside out, until hundreds of these wasps finally fly off leaving just the shell of the body behind.

But mostly harmless, if you dont get too close that is.

 

Not sinister at all, simply an Ichneumon wasp with a short ovipositor. Personally I find them beautiful and fascinating, Jasmine!

Hard to tell from your photos, but probably Pimpla rufipes? I think I've also seen a similar one with striped black and yellow legs, but it's far less common locally.

Pimpla rufipes | NatureSpot

Nick

 

most things in the uk are not dangerous, i would not worry about it

 

@Nikolaos it was definitely a fine specimen and I watched it for a while having never seen one before. Eventually flying back out of the window I did wonder if it might have been some kind of hornet or something relating to the local farm or stables.
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