What kind of bee did I encounter this weekend?

Question

The bee was HUGE! We live in Michigan and were having yard sale at a friends house. She has A LOT of big trees! The bee was about 3" long and it's body was as big around if not bigger than a McDonalds straw. It was hauling off a half dead moth that was the same size as it was! My husband and I tried to capture it, but it got away! What was this GIANT thing?

Update:

The coloration was like that of a regular bee-black and yellow! I dont know a thing about insects, so beyond my initial description and this, I dont know anything else!

Punk Rock and Minerals · Accepted Answer

It was a cicada killer
 It's a type of wasp that hunts other insects and brings them back to their nest where they feed it to thier larvae

Blackhorn · Answer

If it was dragging off a moth, it was more likely a wasp than a bee. If you could describe the coloration, that would help identify it.

janero · Answer

i could bee a style of wasps that inject eggs into residing animals brains so as that the larva slowly eats them from the interior out with the animal having no wish of surviving. ;)

J S · Answer

Learn to ID them, here - 

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

http://greennature.com/article1899.html

http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/life/animal-info/insects/insect_identification.htm

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

http://www.insectimages.org/

FIRST PERSON · Answer

u would have a nice sleep with bee dreams

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What kind of bee did I encounter this weekend?

5 Answers