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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) » Eastern Cicada-killer Wasp (Sphecius speciosus)
Photo#23194
Cicada Killer Wasp - Sphecius speciosus
Copyright © 2005 Lynette Elliott

Cicada Killer Wasp - Sphecius speciosus
Fort Bragg, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
July 4, 2005
Oh my, I finally got one. Interestingly enough....I killed the battery on my Rebel XT (literally dead so I have to buy a new one) and had to use my old Canon G3. That meant getting within inches to get this shot. It did get a little peeved at me and circled around me a few times, but as soon as I backed off it went back to sitting on the plant it likes so much. I should know what the plant is, because I planted it....but I don't. It is the only plant the wasp will land on in my yard.
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Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 5 July, 2005 - 9:37am
Last updated 1 June, 2008 - 10:55pm

One other small comment
I'd wager this is a male defending his territory. They will fly at just about anything to discover whether it's an intruding male or a receptive female. Like all male wasps, they cannot sting :).
… Troy Bartlett, 7 July, 2005 - 7:54pm login or register to post comments

Very nice
I've only been able to get shots of an expired specimen, these guys are ferocious. I've seen one clutching a paralyzed cicada in flight, it's pretty amazing.
… volcano, 5 July, 2005 - 10:51am login or register to post comments

 
Are they really ferocious?
Here's an interesting read. This guy studies Cicada Killer wasps and is trying to document species and their ranges. Take a look at some of the photos.
… Gerry Bunker, 5 July, 2005 - 6:16pm login or register to post comments

 
interesting
article. Amazing picture of one of those on a hand. All I can say is that they are really big, which makes them seem ferocious. This one did fly at me when I got close, which I assume is a warning. I take photos in an area that is swarming with bees and wasps and most do not fly at me when I get too close...they just fly away.
… Lynette Elliott, 6 July, 2005 - 6:12am login or register to post comments

 
One other comment...
I noticed while studying this photo that it seems to me that this Cicada killer wasp has rotated its head and is looking off for another place to fly to. Look at the position of the head and eyes relative to the rest of the body. Very nice shot.
… Gerry Bunker, 6 July, 2005 - 12:22pm login or register to post comments

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