Giant Black ant with red band?

[Fern57]

It had 2 aerials from it's rear that were about 3cm long. The body was maybe 2cm, and about 2mm across the body.

This photo was taken in Scotland earlier today.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jan.underwood/

Please can someone identify it?
Thanks in advance.

[Cetti]

Hello Fern, I love this Q' as it sent me scurrying through my books to hopefully find the answer. Great picture which always helps.

Now I think it may be a Sabre Wasp. Book says " Impressive insect easily recognized by its length alone. Black body liberally sprinkled with white blotches; the legs are mainly orange and the long antennae are black. It's found wherever conifers grow throughout the British Isles."

I would love to be able to post a picture from my book but not sure how it's done....still, if this is not your little beast  someone else will come up with the right name.

 

[Cetti]

Another possibility - a Sand Digger Wasp

http://tinyurl.com/ds8hx

[gen2]

Fern57,
I don't know what it is myself - but I know a man who probably does.  I have sent him your picture and hopefully, I'll have an answer for you within a couple of days.

[Fern57]

Thank you very much. You have all been extremely helpful. At least I know where to start now. I think it does resemble the Sand Digger Wasp, but where did the two tail pieces come from? I've only ever seen anything like that on rhyssa persuasoria (an ichneumon wasp), but our one's colouring doesn't look right for that.

[gen2]

Hi again Fern57,
I have received a reply from my entomological contact which goes along with what Cetti suggested - that it is some sort of parasitic wasp that lays its eggs in beetle larvae deep within wood.  The 'aerials' are two halves of its egg-laying and wood-boring apparatus (the ovipositor).  Here is his full reply:

"Do you have any other pictures of this insect, I have downloaded the attachment and run it through Photoshop 7 but I cannot get a clear enough picture to form an opinion as to species. The two abdominal aerials are part of the ovipositing mechanism, but I would need to see the whole insect more clearly before drawing any conclusions. The general appearance is like a parasitic wasp and the length of the ovipositing mechanism would indicate it is a species who's 'prey' is a wood boring larva, but that's about all I can say at present."