Just click on the picture that looks most like your mystery insect, and you may be able to identify it yourself. It is sort of difficult for us to identify your insect based off your description, simply because so many wasps or hornets display the same characteristics.
The largest bees in North America are the Cicada Killers.
Sound like a yellow jacket, but because you say brown stripes I have to lean more towards a hornet.
CIA drone
I have this large flying insect in my garage and I am not sure what it is.
It looks and flies around like a large wasp, but it seems to have yellow and brown stripes and dark brown wings. It is at least the length of my thumb (2 inches) or more.
Also, I live in Northern Iowa.
I've never seen one of these before and these online bug sites are no help.
