Comments on: Cicada Killer

By: European Hornets | What's That Bug?

European Hornets | What's That Bug? — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:19:32 +0000

[...] indicates: “Adults come to lights at night, perhaps seeking prey?“ We just got a comment to one of our Cicada Killer postings and the person claims to have been stung by a Cicada Killer that was attracted to lights. We [...]

By: bugman

bugman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:53:35 +0000

Thanks for your account, though without a photo of the culprit, we might suspect a different species, like the European Hornet. Vespa crabro, which can be viewed on BugGuide. Like the Cicada Killer, this is a large wasp with yellow markings. We have not heard of Cicada Killers being attracted to lights at night, but we have received information that the European Hornet is attracted to lights. It is also worth noting that Cicada Killers are generally active during the summer, from late June to early August. European Hornets are most visible in the autumn when the colonies have reached their greatest number of inhabitants. We would request that you please take a look at the images of the European Hornet and indicate if that might be the insect that stung you. We would hate to have our readership convict the wrong insect in this case. Thanks in advance.

By: kd4rmm

kd4rmm — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:36:43 +0000

Well I can substantiate a Cicada Killer sting for you, I got stung last night by one as I went out my back door, They hang around my porch light and while bothersome I never pay much attention to them, but last night as I walked out my back door, I guess I had the mis-fortune of having one fly right in my left arm sleeve, I felt a burning sensation on my wrist and thought the fire fell off my cigarette, but then I heard that familiar heavy buzzing and I knew I had been stung, I shook the culprit out as I stepped back into my house only not quick enough as I brought the culprit in the house with me and I followed it to kill it and identify it and it was a Cicada Killer Wasp. Fortunately I do not have a history of allergic reaction to bee and wasp stings. I had a small red mark at the sting site on my wrist and within a few minutes followed by a white area around the sting site and intense pain, within 15 minutes I had an area of redness and swelling about 3 inches wide by 6 inches long on my wrist, the pain was intense unlike I have ever experiences before with other stings by Bees , Wasps or Hornets. An ice cube help some immediate pain relief, I took a Benedryl as an added precaution. it has now been almost 24 hours since the sting the redness and puffiness are still present with an itching sensation, aside from that most all the painful discomfort has subsided, I keep reading its uncommon for them to sting humans I guess I had the misfortune to be one of them. I personally am one who normally can disregard a wasp or bee sting and almost forget the incident in an hour or so, but this Cicada Killer Wasp sting whoa! those suckers are painful, I don’t recommend it.