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Photo#5699
Cicada Killer with prey - Sphecius speciosus - female

Cicada Killer with prey - Sphecius speciosus - Female
Durham County, North Carolina, USA
September 6, 1997
This wasp had killed a cicada (likely a Tibicen species) in my yard and I rushed to get my camera. As I tried to photograph it, it kept trying to climb up my leg--very disconcerting. When I backed off far enough, it switched course for the nearest tree. It climbed the tree and used it as a launching pad for its flight to its burrow. I am presuming this is a female--that they are the ones that provision the nest.

Another image as this individual climbed a nearby tree is shown in the linked images.

Images of this individual: tag all
Cicada Killer with prey - Sphecius speciosus - female Cicada Killer with prey - Sphecius speciosus - female