Need help IDing an insect

[uppityperson]

There are several of these climbing around a dead grand fir. They are probing and look like trying to lay eggs. I came up with a horntail, urocerus californicus, but they have a fuzzy head with yellow on the back of it. Not with the yellow cheeks these guys have in the pictures I've found.

[Ian David]

1. I would put it on Project Noah

http://www.projectnoah.org/

[Cannikin]

2. By chance does it look like it's a mix of hummingbird and bumblebee in flight?

I've been seeing something very similar that I really never recall seeing before, and I've lived here all my life. I've had very few honey bees, but these guys have been plentiful.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. What you describe sounds like a hummingbird moth.

There are several species of the genus "Hemaris".

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/hummingbird_moth.shtml

I also do not remember seeing them years ago, but see them all the time now. Could it be all the butterfly flowers I have planted that bring them in??? Maybe.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. You might want to look up "Hummingbird Moth" or "Sphinx Moth"

or "Bumblebee Moth"...does it look like this?

as seen here:
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/hdiffinis.htm

[uppityperson]

7. That is very cool but its body is fuzzy where my insect isn't. Very cool.

[hermetic]

3. I love this site

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

You have to search a bit but they know their bugs. Good luck.

[uppityperson]

9. Thanks, will go look around.

[uppityperson]

13. FOUND IT!!!! Thank you. Lion Beetle, rare alpine species. VERY cool, thank you!!

This is not mine, but other ones:
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/08/16/lion-beetle-2/
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2006/02/10/lion-beetle/
Rare and in high alpine meadows? 3 of them here at 400 ft? Cool.

Mine

Dear Nature Lover,
Morphologically, the Lion Beetle, Ulochaetes leoninus, is very atypical, and it doesn't really resemble any other members in its family Cerambycidae, the Longhorned Borers.� This is only the fourth submission of this rare alpine species we have ever received.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/?s=lion+beetle&searchsubmit.x=7&searchsubmit.y=10

[uppityperson]

14. The tree they are on is rotting, and full of termites, at least surrounded by sawdust

We are going to cut it down BUT leave a high stump for the eggs and put the lowest bits we cut off in the woods so the eggs and larva can survive. Yay for interesting nature.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. I would not say this is a horntail, but I can't help you

with what it is. I see no tail, and a horntail has a very noticable tail. Also, note the antennae because that may be diagnostic.

Good luck finding out what it is. I completely understand the need to identify all these things we find around us.

[uppityperson]

8. I am leaning towards horntail or sawfly of some sort. It has a short tail, my camera

isn't great so couldn't get it in there. The antenna are very long and curl when it's busy ovipositing (knew there was a word for it) rather than exploring like this one was.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Looks like a larval Republican.

[uppityperson]

11. Hmmm. Crawling around on a dead tree, sticking it's ovipositer into random holes?

could be

[era veteran]

12. I have a lot of Cicada Killer Wasps (Sphecius speciosus)

They are busy mostly in mid morning.