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
Hornet?
January 10, 2010
Saw this on the Grand Canyon rafting trip in 2008, my friend may have submitted it before, but I’m unable to locate it
Ava
Arizona
Western Cicada Killer
Hi Ava,
This is a Paper Wasp in the genus Polistes, but the markings do not exactly match any of the species represented on BugGuide, though two species that are found in Arizona, Polistes apachus and Polistes arizonensis, has a similar coloration. According to BugGuide, the wasps in the genus Polistes are: “Large social wasps with long legs, usually brown, yellow markings typically less extensive than yellow jackets and hornets (Vespinae). Visit flowers. Build distinctive paper nests attached to a surface by a stalk. No outer covering of cells as in the Vespinae. Males have curly antennae and yellow faces, exception being P. annularis males, which have red faces just like females.“ The angle of your photo isn’t exactly right to be certain, but it appears your specimen might have a yellow face indicating it is a male. We will try to get Eric Eaton’s opinion on this posting.
Update: June 8, 2010
Thanks to a comment by Ron Hennessey, we now know that this is a heretofore unrepresented species on our site, a Western Cicada Killer, Sphecius grandis, which is well represented on BugGuide.
¶ Posted 11 January 2010 § ‡ ° Big waspy stingy looking bug
August 28, 2009
Hi ‘bugman’,
While taking my kids to a nearby beach on Lake Erie, we came across many ground burrows of these “Big waspy stingy looking bugs”, as my 8 year twins called them. I think they may be some type of Scoliid wasps, judging from the pictures on your site. We were wondering if there was any need to fear them, they seemed docile enough. They were about 2-21/2 inches long.Thanks for looking at our letter.
Joe S.
western Erie county, PA
Cicada Killer
Hi Joe,
Thanks so much for indicating in your letter that these Cicada Killers Wasps seemed docile. Female Cicada Killers are much more intent on supplying their underground burrows with paralyzed Cicadas than with stinging humans. Though a female Cicada Killer might sting a human, we have never received a substantiated report of them doing so. Male Cicada Killers that cannot sting are often aggressive about defending territory, but they are perfectly harmless. Your photos are wonderful.
Cicada Killer
¶ Posted 29 August 2009 § ‡ ° Yet another cicada killer
August 12, 2009
My technique for getting interesting photos is to NEVER leave the house without a camera slung around my neck. I don’t always get excellent results, but at least I do get a lot of shots.
This cicada killer was buzzing around the neighborhood and I was able to follow it to a garage with a ladder conveniently close by that let me follow it into the gutter….
Pat
southwest lower michigan
Cicada Killer with prey
Hi Pat,
Because the Cicada prey weighs so much more than the Cicada Killer predator, the Cicada Killer often cannot take off from the ground to fly back to her burrow, so she climbs to a high spot and glides in the direction of her burrow. We suspect that is the reason you captured this photo in the gutter. Your documentation of a Cicada Killer and her prey is quite a score. Thanks for sending it to our site. We would much rather post photos of living insects than dead ones.
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