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WHAT IS THIS INSECT?
HELLO—I’M TRYING TO HELP A FRIEND IDENTIFY THIS INSECT. SHE THINKS THEY BURROW IN THE GROUND AND SHE HAS QUITE A LOT OF THEM IN THE DALLAS, TEXAS AREA.
THANK YOU, ANNETTE
Hi Annette,
Your friend has a colony of Cicada Killers, Sphecius speciosus. They do dig in the ground. The female stings and paralyzed a cicada and then lays an egg on it for her young to devour. The nest is underground.
Cicada Killer and Velvet Ant
My wife and I enjoy your site. We live in Baton Rouge, LA and our garden has a diverse range of hymenopterans. This past summer we had a large emergence of cicadas and my wife took this photo of a cicada killer on our patio door. The size of these wasps is truly impressive. We also have velvet ants that hang out near one of our pecan trees (photo attached).
Regards – Mark & Malinda
Hi Mark and Malinda,
We are always happy to get good quality images of interesting subjects to add to our website. Yours is the only photo we have ever received of the Cicada Killer with its prey. Thank you so much.
Daniel
Some kind of hornet
I killed this hornet in the waiting area of an auto repair shop this afternoon in downtown Durham, NC. It seemed to have flown in and couldn’t get back out. I was more than happy to "help" it. Below is a description and attached are 3 pics for identification.
Full length (eyes to stinger = 37cm)
Abdomen widest width = 8.5mm
Thorax widest widthwidth 9mm
Wingspan = 63mm
Antennae = 13mm each
The eyes are large and brown. The face between the eyes is yellow with some brown on it. The antennae are made of small segments and gets slightly thicker toward the end, before tapering right at the tips. They are black. All 6 legs are kinda "spikey" like a roach or locust. at the 2nd joint of the hindmost legs there are 2 small appendages which look like small pinchers connected at the joint and proturding toward the feet Thorax is very dark brown and medium dark brown. Thorax is also a bit fuzzy near the abdomen There are 2 longer outer wings and 2 shorter inner/under wings. Abdomen seems to have 6 "sections". The 1st section from the thorax has 2 yellow markings. The 2nd section has 2 yellow markings on the back, 2 small ones on the sides and 2 small spots on the underside. The 3rd section has 2 yellow markings on the back. The last three are solid black.
I made a very detailed description as the photos from my SonyEricsson T616 cellphone camera aren’t that great. I searched quite a few sites for this formidable looking fellow but came up empty-handed. Hope you can help. Thanks 
Very Sincerely,
Scott Walton
Hi Scott,
You have a Cicada Killer Wasp, Specius speciosus. According to the Golden Guide of Insects: “This large solitary wasp digs a burrow a foot or so deep. In side passages the female stores adult cicadas which she has paralyzed by stinging. The heavy cicadas are dragged up a tree by the killer till she can get enough altitude to fly back to her burrow. When the egg hatches, the lrva feedes on the helpless cicada. In a week it is full grown and pupates in a loose cocoon. It emerges the following summer, completing its life cycle.” Though your photos are blurry, we are thrilled to have them.
Hello,
My name is Andrew Gable. I have a question to ask about the possible identification of an apparent bee or wasp I saw. In October-November of the year (can’t remember the exact time, but approximately 1997 or ‘98), while attending Lock Haven University in northern Pennsylvania, I saw a strange insect lying on the ground. I rememebr it was quite late in the year, and I thought it was awfully cool out to be seeing a bug of any sort. The insect appeared to resemble a yellow jacket or wasp, and had the typical yellow-and-black pattern though it was quite large (approximately an inch and a half to two inches in length). Its abdomen and thorax appeared somewhat flattened, though whether this was due to injury or natural appearance I can’t be certain. It didn’t appear injured, however. It was winged (its wings were long, and ‘clear’ like a fly’s). It also appeared to be somewhat glossy. It was, to the best of my judgment, near death. There was a vacant lot nearby, as well as a fairly large garden, so I don’t discount the possibility that it could have been a burrowing insect of some sort (I believe many of the stinging insects live in burrows).
When I returned via the same path fifteen or twenty minutes later, the insect was gone, and I can only assume that it somehow found the strength to fly off. I’ve often tried to determine what this thing may have been to no avail, and would appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance.
Andrew D. Gable
We suspect Andrew saw a Ci cada Killer, and his measurements were closer to the actual size, a thing many of our readers tend to exaggerate.
I’d love info on these delightful little visitors as we seem to have a family who lives/visits our yard every spring. I cannot leave the house.
—Annie
Hi Annie,
The Cicada Killers, Specius speciosus and Sphecius grandis, are large solitary wasps that often live in colonies, hence your comment about the family situation. They produce one generation a year, and you are being visited by the offspring of the previous year’s visitors. The wasps are large, nearly 1 2/3 inches in body length, with a much larger wingspan, and they feed on nectar and pollen. Mating males are sometimes aggressive, and females will deliver a nasty sting if provoked. It is the female who kills the cicadas. She hunts for them on tree trunks after digging a burrow. She stings the cicada, paralyzing it, then flies back to her burrow with the now immobile, yet living food source for her brood. Each burrow contains one or two cicadas, and when the solitary egg hatches, the larva has a fresh food supply.
Ckeck out the Cicada Killer Thriller Page at http://www.showmejoe.com /thriller/thriller.htm
Thank you so much!! My exterminator was totally clueless (so I had to capture one and look online to find out about it – that’s how I knew it’s name) but I’ve now that I’ve seen them in my yard I’ve seen them around a lot more – don’t know if it’s a case of knowing what I’m looking for or if they’re really settling in around South Orange, NJ, but I do appreciate your great information on them. Poor cicadas – darn that must hurt! I’d noticed how aggressive the males are – especially if you fill up their burrow and they can’t get back in 
Best,
Annie Modesitt
Craft Writer / Knitting Designer
South Orange, NJ
