Species Sphecius grandis - Western Cicada Killer

Classification · Identification · Range · Food · Internet References

Another cicada killer? - Sphecius grandis

Our western Cicada killers are brown - Sphecius grandis

A clearer image of one of the cicada killers - Sphecius grandis - male

Western Cicada Killer - Sphecius grandis - male

Western Cicada Killer? - Sphecius grandis

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps)

No Taxon (Apoid Wasps (Apoidea)- traditional Sphecidae)

Family Crabronidae

Subfamily Bembicinae

Tribe Bembicini (Sand Wasps)

Subtribe Handlirschiina

Genus Sphecius (Cicada Killers)

Species grandis (Western Cicada Killer)

Identification

Punctation density in the middle of T1 and T2 is approximately equal in S. grandis see photo:

(noticeably less dense on T2 compared to T1 in S. convallis).

Antennal segments II-IV are curved ventrally (at the tyloids/ sensory organs) in S. grandis, the segments looking more bead-like:

In S. convallis antennal segments II-IV are not curved ventrally, and are tube-like.

Please see the key (internet link below) for complete information. (HW)

Range

Western U.S. (AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA)

Also Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua

Food

Adults feed on nectar. Females hunt cicadas to provision their offspring.

Internet References

Holliday, C.W., and J.R. Coelho. 2006. Improved Key to New World Species of Sphecius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) - internet version; the complete paper (Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 99(5):793-798) can be downloaded as PDF from that site. (HW)

Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 30 January, 2008 - 5:28pm
Additional contributions by Lynette
Last updated 17 June, 2009 - 1:13am

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