Sphecius speciosus
Purdue University
Sphecius speciosus
Purdue University
The Cicada Killer is one
of our largest wasps. It grows over one and a half inches
long. Its head
and thorax
(front two body sections) are a rust color. The large
abdomen
(back section) is black and yellow, much like a yellow
jacket. The Cicada Killer's legs are yellowish and its wings
are clear with an orangish-red tint. This wasp lives at the
edges of forests, in gardens, and in waste places.
Adult
Cicada Killers eat very little, getting their energy from
flower nectar.
Larvae
eat cicadas. Copyright, Clemson
University Arthropod Collection Copyright, Dr. James
Baker, North Carolina State University Cicada Killers are seen
in early Summer. After mating, the female wasp digs a burrow
about six inches deep in the soil. Inside the burrow, she
will make several cells, or small oval-shaped chambers. You
can usually tell a Cicada Killer's burrow by the U-shaped
dirt around the hole. Next, the female wasp
hunts cicadas. Cicadas, such as the Dogday Harvestfly, are
very important as a food source for young wasps. Once she
finds one, she will sting it and paralyze the insect. Then
the wasp will carry the cicada, which may weigh three times
her own weight, back to the burrow. She will put the cicada
in one of the cells and lay an egg on it. The female wasp
will continue hunting cicadas until she has filled the cells
of her burrow. Each cicada body gets its own egg. Copyright, Chuck
Holliday In two or three days, a
wasp larva will hatch from the egg. The larva immediately
begins eating the cicada. When the larva finishes the
cicada, leaving only the outer shell (about two weeks), it
will then spin a coccoon
and hibernate
until the following Spring. In the Spring, the larva
will leave its coccoon and become a pupa
(resting stage). From the pupa, an adult Cicada Killer will
hatch. It will dig its way out of the ground and look for a
mate. Male wasps die shortly
after mating. Females die after laying all of their
eggs. Predators
of Cicada Killers are the same as those of other wasps,
including birds, shrews, and mantids.
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Relationships in Nature:
Relationship to Humans:
Cicada Killers are helpful to people since they eat cicadas. Cicadas can be pests when they eat trees and plants. Sometimes, these wasps can be annoying since they may dig burrows in lawns or gardens. Cicada Kilers rarely sting humans. Only the females have the ability to sting, and they only sting in defense if handled.
