wasp found burrowing in yard
Location: oklahoma city, ok
June 30, 2011 10:42 pm
My wife and I came home yesterday to find a dime sized hole in the dirt just a foot or so from our front door. A pile of dirt was found maybe 6-8 inches from the hole with a very straight path leading to the pile from the hole. Tonight, as we were opening the front door, I mentioned to my wife that I was curious what insect was burrowing but had not yet seen anything exiting or entering. I assumed it was some sort of beetle. Not 10 seconds after I spoke those words, this wasp-looking insect crawls out! We ran inside and grabbed the insect spray, soaked it 
, collected it, and have been attempting to identify for the last 2 hours. Please help!
Signature: ryan davenport
Cicada Killer Carnage
Dear Ryan,
While we understand that fear creates irrational behavior, it is not really necessary to kill things that are unfamiliar to you. This is a (relatively) harmless female Cicada Killer and she was building an underground nest that she would have provisioned with paralyzed Cicadas to feed her brood. The reason we stated that she is relatively harmless is that she is not an aggressive wasp and in all the years we have written this column, we have never received a verified report of a person being stung by a Cicada Killer, though that could always be a possibility. Male Cicada Killers often act aggressively when defending territory, however, though they may dive bomb at you or your pets, they are perfectly harmless as male Cicada Killers lack stingers and they are incapable of doing any damage.
Cicada Killer
Location: St. Louis, MO
June 23, 2011 10:52 am
Love the site! Found it several years ago while trying to figure out what ”those crazy centipede millipede silverfish things” were. (House centipedes FTW!) While it hasn’t solved ALL of my irrational fears (crickets!), it has certainly helped.
Anyway, I was going through some old photos and ran across this cicada killer with her dinner. Thought you might enjoy the photo. I found her on the tire of my car in July of 2007 and had never seen one before. I figured out what she was with the help of your site.
Enjoy and thanks for all the hard work on this site!
Signature: Tracie
Cicada Killer preys upon Annual Cicada
Hi Tracie,
Your photo is just a bit early to coincide with the annual appearance of Cicada Killers, but we are very excited that you have sent it to us. Some years we can get as many as three or five identification requests for Cicada Killers in a day, and they generally arrive in our mailbox during July and August. We have just posted our first image of a molting Annual Cicada in the genus Tibicen for the year, and as the food source for the developing Cicada Killer broods are beginning to appear, the predators should soon follow. We are going to feature your posting and we hope that informing our readers about this amazing Sand Wasp will help to curtail their slaughter. Often people are unnerved because thought Cicada Killers are solitary wasps, they tend to form nursery nests in colonies. Male Cicada Killers are perfectly harmless as they cannot sting, are nonetheless quite aggressive about defending territory. Female Cicada Killers are capable of stinging, be we have never in more than 13 years of writing What’s That Bug? been able to document a verified incident of a person being stung by a Cicada Killer. The few claims we have received are better explained by blaming other more aggressive wasps like Paper Wasps.
So glad you could use the photo! I certainly could see how people would be intimidated by such a large wasp. I was just so impressed by her I had to get some photos, but I certainly kept my distance! She was actually dragging the cicada up the tire of my car (looks like the photo on the site got rotated) and I ended up walking the couple of blocks home for lunch so I wouldn’t disturb her by driving off.
I do hope this will help people understand and be less afraid of these creatures. Hey, if I can learn why house centipedes shouldn’t be automatically smushed regardless of how alien they look I believe ANYONE can. Shoot, I was actually GLAD to see these guys in my new house. The cave crickets, on the other hand, are not welcome. I’ll send photos of those along if I ever muster up the courage to not immediately run from the basement when I see one.
Cheers!
Hi again Tracie,
Yes the image was rotated to maximize its size on the website. Cicada Killers will climb up trees and walls while dragging a Cicada. They can then glide some distance back to the excavated nest.
2
huge wasp
Location: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
October 10, 2010 9:20 am
This was like two inches long. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve lived in Florida my whole life.
Signature: Thanks, Sean S
Cicada Killer
HI Sean,
Your large wasp is a Cicada Killer, and October is very late in the year for a sighting. Most of our reports come in late July and August, though sightings on BugGuide have been reported as late as September.
Thank you very much. I saw him in my backyard yesterday morning. I saw it and couldn’t believe how big it was. The markings are different also, which makes it neat looking. I ‘m glad you could tell me what it was. Thanks again.
¶ Posted 10 October 2010 § ‡ ° Large wasp/hornet
Location: Myrtle Beach SC
August 29, 2010 10:06 pm
My cat spoted this very large hornet thing in our tree. I am farm girl and have never seen anything like this. It was about 3 inches long and the width of my thumb.. Very scary looking. The picture does no justice for its actual size. Please help me!
Nikole
Cicada Killer
Hi Nikole,
This is a Cicada Killer, a solitary wasp that preys upon Cicadas to feed its brood. Despite its large size, the Cicada Killer is not an aggressive species and we have not received a verified report of anyone being stung by a Cicada Killer, though it is entirely possible that a female Cicada Killer could sting a person. In previous years, the months of July and August have included numerous requests for Cicada Killer identification, but there were very few submissions this year.
¶ Posted 30 August 2010 § ‡ ° cicada bug being eaten
Location: Albany NY
August 4, 2010 5:24 pm
dear WTB,
I was on a job site digging a trench for a water main, when I heard a noise in the trees. When I checked it out, there were two bugs that fell. It was a cicada bug which i’ve seen before, and a giant bee looking thing that was attacking, and had the thing in what it looked like was a death grip trying too sting its under belly. My question is are these big bee looking thins dangerous or not. Ive seen them before, bigger than this one. This one is about an inch and a half in length, and smaller than the cicada.
Ty Dan in NY
Cicada Killer and prey
Hi Ty Dan,
Even though your photo is blurry, the distinctive markings and coloration of a Cicada Killer are apparent. The Cicada Killer, Sphecius speciosus, is a large wasp that preys upon the Cicada not to feed itself, as the adults feed upon nectar, but to feed the larval brood. The male Cicada Killer, which does not sting, defends a suitable nesting site and dies soon after mating with a female. The female lives for several weeks and she digs a burrow that is provisioned with paralyzed Cicadas to feed her brood. Once the Cicada is stung, it remains alive, but paralyzed, and it is dragged back to the burrow where a single egg is laid upon it. Each egg gets its own Cicada. The female often has to climb a tree or other vertical feature while dragging the Cicada, and she then coasts toward her burrow. Though they are large and frightening looking, we have never received a verified account of a person being stung by a Cicada Killer.
Cicada Killer in Mass
July 28, 2010 7:22 pm
I have a Cicada Killer in SE Mass, the time table and territory shows Cicadas not here, and not due around this year. Am I wrong or are they sustained on nectar in the off years (and shes lost)?
Colby Crossman
Hi Colby,
There are cicadas in your area every year. Do not confuse the special appearance of the Periodical Cicada or 17 Year Locust that appear on a periodic schedule with the Annual Cicadas that appear each year. The Periodical Cicadas, when they do appear, are about a month earlier than the appearance of Cicada Killers, so the Periodical Cicadas do not contribute to the diet of Cicada Killers which tend to feed on the Annual Cicadas that appear in mid to late summer. It is also worth noting that only the larval Cicada Killers feed on the Cicadas which are paralyzed by the female Cicada Killer to provision her nest with food for her brood. Adults take nectar.
¶ Posted 29 July 2010 § ‡ ° Looks like a wasp with striped wings.
July 11, 2010
Would you please help me id this flying insect? Is it friend or foe to my garden. It does fly. It looks like a wasp, has clear wings, 3 yellow bands across its body. I think it likes the color red. For the last 3 mornings I have found it on this red crate.
Michelle Dyer
Knoxville, TN, 37919
Cicada Killer
Hi Michelle,
This is a Cicada Killer, a large Sand Wasp that preys upon Cicadas to feed its brood. The female Cicada Killer stings and paralyzes Cicadas and buries them in a nest. Adult Cicada Killers feed on nectar. Sometimes people become alarmed because though the Cicada Killer is a solitary wasp, they do tend to nest in colonies. Male Cicada Killers will aggressively defend territory, but males are incapable of stinging. We have never received an authenticated report of a Cicada Killer stinging a person. That said, we would consider it a friend in the garden.
¶ Posted 12 July 2010 § ‡ ° Cicada Killer? Or other?
July 5, 2010
This 4cm wasp showed up in my screened porch in Nashville, TN this hot sunny, 94′F afternoon (July 5). Although, I know you don’t approve of killing them, with small nieces and nephews about, it was not going to be allowed to stay as our guest. I have never seen one like this and wanted to know if I need to be concerned for the sake of the humans near by, or if future visitors are expected to be harmless. The ruler used for scale is indicating centimeters. Thanks for your help.
Elizabeth
Nashville, TN
Cicada Killer
Hi Elizabeth,
Your identification of the Cicada Killer, Sphecius speciosus, is correct. By all indications, a female Cicada Killer could theoretically sting a person, though we have never received a confirmed report that a person has been stung by a Cicada Killer. The males which tend to aggressively defend territory, are incapable of stinging. It is our opinion that you do not need to be concerned that humans will be stung by future Cicada Killers that visit your home. Thank you for recognizing that we do not approve of killing insects unnecessarily, though we fully understand that the instinct to protect small children is behind much of the Unnecessary Carnage that comes our way. It is possible to use this mounted specimen as an educational tool with the youngsters who should be taught to appreciate and respect the natural world around them. Just yesterday, we overheard a conversation between two adult women and a young girl who were walking past our Mt Washington offices in Los Angeles. One woman mentioned that turning right would go to a park (Elyria Canyon Park), and the child wanted to know more about the park. The woman explained to the child that there was nothing there but grass and that there might be coyotes. This mentality toward open space and its preservation is counter productive in our mind. Children should be taught not to fear natural open spaces, but to appreciate them. This is the only way that future generations will fight to protect undeveloped land.
Cicada Killer
Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for your rapid response to my request for information. I will most certainly use my specimen of the cicada killer to teach those around me about it – both young and old. In fact, I have already shared the picture and your information with several friends. I am with you 100% regarding the need to educate people about the world around us. If you don’t know something exists, you can’t advocate for it. Future cicada killers in my world will be safe. Thank you again.
Elizabeth
¶ Posted 06 July 2010 § ‡ ° 
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