CICADA KILLER

As already mentioned in the "Life Cycle" section on this site, the Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus) is a large digger wasp that specializes in hunting cicadas. They are often seen flying around parks and residential neighborhoods where they appear large enough to carry away your pets or children. But rest assured, unless you're a cicada, they mean you no harm. However, they like making their burrows in soft, sandy surfaces which can disrupt a perfectly good garden! For those with a green thumb, they can become an annoying distraction! If you come too close to their nesting site, they will give off a threatening buzz and will dart directly at you as a defensive ploy! Otherwise, these wasps are normally docile and will avoid interactions with humans. Their sting is very mild and harmless towards people and animals but is quite paralyzing to a cicada!

These imposing creatures are 1.5 to 2 inches in length with the males being somewhat smaller. Males do not partake in the hunting (They like nectar!) but are fiercely territorial when it comes to females and will engage in battle (Wrestling contests!) with other males to win over a prospecting mate!

After mating, the female wasp hunts cicadas primarily by sight and sound. These wasps begin to appear in July and target an unsuspecting annual cicada (Neotibicen spp.). Once the wasp locates a cicada, it tackles it and stings it. The sting again merely paralyzes the cicada and renders it helpless. The sting also preserves the cicada's bodily fluids from drying out and keeps it alive! Stung cicadas will live longer than un-stung cicadas. The wasp will then drag the heavy cicada up the side of a tree or other support and take a short flight with the cicada tucked underneath the wasp's body. The weight of the cicada causes the wasp to fly only a short distance at a time and she will have to repeat this step over and over until she reaches her burrow.

The burrow is dug out of loose soil and will extend underground often at a depth of a foot or more. This burrow will have several rounded chambers branching off of the main entrance tunnel. There, the wasp will store the cicada and lay an egg near the thorax of the cicada's body. The wasp will already know the sex of the egg and will stock two cicadas to a chamber if the egg is female and one cicada if the egg is male. Once the wasp finishes stocking all of the chambers, she will seal off the entrance to the nest.

Within several days, the egg will hatch and the wasp larva will begin to feed off the fluids from the cicada's body. The cicada will live through much of this ordeal and will be slowly drained by the larva until only a husk remains. The larva will then spin a thin cocoon around itself where it will remain in the larval stage and overwinter. In spring, the larvae will pupate and emerge from its cocoon during mid-summer. The new wasps will leave the old nests, mate, and the females will dig new burrows to begin the next generation.

Cicadas BEWARE!!!!

Cicada Killer - Sphecius speciosus

Photographs taken: 08/15

Green Creek Township

Sandusky County, Ohio

Cicada Killer Burrow

Photographs taken: 08/01

Fremont

Sandusky County, Ohio

All images were photographed in Sandusky County, Ohio unless otherwise noted in the descriptions.

Cicada Killer Burrow

A cicada was dropped at the entrance to a Cicada Killer burrow.

Cicada Killer Burrow

A Cicada Killer burrow is often found on the edge of grasses which includes gardens.

Cicada Killer

A Cicada Killer checking the landscape.

Cicada Killer

This Cicada Killer is resting.

Cicada Killer

A Cicada Killer near its burrow.

Cicada Killer

A Cicada Killer pacing the ground.

Cicada Killers Mating

Cicada Killers mating.

Cicada Killers Mating

A rival male tries to interrupt a mating couple.

Cicada Killers Mating

This mating frenzy took place in tall grass.

Cicada Killers Mating

Two males vie for the affection of a female.

Cicada Killers Mating

Competition for a mate can be fierce!

Cicada Killers Mating

A mating pair left undisturbed.

Cicada Killers Mating

Note the much larger female on the right.

Mantis Attack!

This cicada was caught by a mantis nymph. Wolf Creek Park Sandusky County, Ohio

Mantis Attack!

"Swamp Cicadas" are more likely to encounter mantids since both species like to dwell in old field communities. Wolf Creek Park Sandusky County, Ohio

Mantis Attack!

Despite the efforts of this cicada, it was unable to escape the grasps of this mantis. Wolf Creek Park Sandusky County, Ohio

Mantis Attack!

Mantids are ferocious predators! They can catch and eat creatures twice their size, including rodents, snakes, and hummingbirds! Wolf Creek Park Sandusky County, Ohio

Mantis Attack!

This species of Mantis "Tenodera sinensis" is originally from Asia and is now widespread across many areas of the United States. It can grow up to four inches long and can devour numerous cicadas if given the opportunity! Wolf Creek Park Sandusky County, Ohio

Cicada Killer