Cicada Killer (Sphecius specious)

[spider]

Anyone else find some of these enormous wasps around their home? I found many in burrows in Arkansas, near Buffalo River.

I, much to my suprise, found a dead one 45 minutes away from my home, across the street from a Resevoir.

Anyone else have any photos to share, or any other information?
I located these photos on www.google.com

Thanks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v401/theraphosa/cicada_killer_wasp-rule.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v401/theraphosa/more_killers_hand_35.jpg

 

[Galapoheros]

I live in Texas. I have come across cicada killers looking for and attacking cicadas. Then watching them drag and even fly several feet with the cicadas while trying to locate their holes to drag the cicada down and lay their eggs on it. I have come across colonies with multiple holes. But I've also seen isolated holes with no evidence of others around. I guess the beginnings of a colony(?). From what I can tell, I don't think they like the limestone, rocky, hill country of Tx. I've seen many more of these wasps in east Tx where digging is much more easier to do. I've taken a good look at the stinger .

 

[Frazier_05]

Spider,
Yeah I live in southern middle Tennessee and see them a lot. This past Friday I happened to look down in the grass and saw one munching on a dead cicada. I assumed it killed this one itself. They're so BIG!!!

Brett

 

[Hedorah99]

We have them in CT as well. The ones I have seen look much larger than the dead specimens in the first post.

 

[spider]

I did not know they were located in such a vast area across the States..


They do get much much bigger! Ever stung humans in defense of anything?

 

[236260]

As a kid, they were the only bee/wasp that I would not attempt to catch. I would follow them and watch, awestruck, but I would never try, as I did with other species, to grab their wings. I have several dead specimens now, which I was going to send to a university that was doing a census on them... but I moved in the middle of that attempt. I have read that they have a very painful sting, but I have no experience in the matter.

 

[rag]

i have atleast 10 burrows in my front yard and a few others in my backyard. ive grown to hate them with a passion, all they do is pester me when im walking to get the mail or get in my car and try to sting my dog.

 

[Mendi]

I'v seen a few here, but I try and avoid them... Would hate to ge one upset with me, or even worse, accidently disturb a nest

OUCH !!!

 

[Waspman]

I haven't seen a cicada killer for a while here, but I always hear the cicadas yelping when one finds them!

They're actually pretty indifferent to people (along with most solitary wasps). They're reluctant to sting unless you hold one, step on one barefoot, etc.

 

[cricket54]

My daughter and were just looking at one of them today. They are huge! There is one that is chewing on the bark on one of my lilac bushes. I think they chew on them every summer and could possibly what is killing them off. They get some kind of fungus as well. We see them out every summer once it gets hot here in southern NJ, near DE.

Sharon

 

[spider]

From what I watched in Arkansas, they are not the species to make nests, are they?

My guess is they just make themselves burrows, bread as a pair, lay the eggs in cicadas, and so the cycle continues?

Perhaps either the males or females make the burrow as a means of attracting a mate?


Thanks for the input, all

Could we, perhaps, see some pics of the burrows you guys have in your yards?