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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Bembicinae » Sand Wasps (Bembicini) » Spheciina » Cicada-killer Wasps (Sphecius) » Western Cicada-killer Wasp (Sphecius grandis)

Species Sphecius grandis - Western Cicada-killer Wasp

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Works Cited
Western Cicada Killer? - Sphecius grandis Western/Pacific Cicada Killer Wasp - Sphecius grandis Unknown wasp? - Sphecius grandis Oregon Hornet - Sphecius grandis Oregon Hornet - Sphecius grandis Possible hybrid Western x Eastern Cicada Killer - Sphecius grandis Wasp1July2020BigPine,CA - Sphecius grandis Sphecius? - Sphecius grandis
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps)
Family Crabronidae (Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies)
Subfamily Bembicinae
Tribe Bembicini (Sand Wasps)
Subtribe Spheciina
Genus Sphecius (Cicada-killer Wasps)
Species grandis (Western Cicada-killer Wasp)
Explanation of Names
Sphecius grandis (Say 1823)
Identification
adapted from (1)
Females: Punctation density in the middle of T1 & T2 is about the same in S. grandis (noticeably less dense on T2 than on T1 in S. convallis)
Males: Antennomeres II‒IV curved ventrally in S. grandis, look more bead-like (in S. convallis not curved, cylindrical)
Body more extensively yellow, exceeding T4 in 97% of specimens (in 99.7% of S. convallis specimens yellow doesn't exceed T4), although in some S. grandis the yellow markings on the last abdomen segments are faint.
Range
w. US (WA‒CA to NE‒TX) to C. America(1)
Works Cited
1.Improved key to New World species of Sphecius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)
Holliday C.W., Coelho J.R. 2006. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 99: 793-798.
Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 30 January, 2008 - 5:28pm
Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott, Mike Quinn, v belov, PaleoJon, bdagley
Last updated 26 December, 2023 - 5:28pm

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