Quite an impressive wasp, due to its size, a Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus). Its size is between 1.125 to 2 inches long. Females are larger than males. Though what seems like an intimidating size, they are not to be feared. The males don’t have stingers and females are intent on using their stingers for paralyzing cicadas which they often catch in flight. Those females, with their stingers, will only sting you if very provoked.

These wasps as larvae or grubs, overwinter in a cocoon in the soil. They emerge in the middle or late summer. During their exceeding short life as adults they feed on flower nectar.

Males’ purpose in life is to mate, living for about 2 weeks.

After mating, the female wasps look for the perfect spot to dig their burrows. They hunt up Cicadas, paralyze them, bury them, each with an egg in the Cicada which will nourish the grub until it emerges as an adult the following summer. All this in the course of about 4 weeks.

The Cicada Killer is a beneficial insect, helping to control harmful Cicada populations and help in pollination.