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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Vespidae » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Umbrella Paper Wasps (Polistes) » Subgenus Fuscopolistes (Polistes Subgenus Fuscopolistes) » Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus)
Photo#197313
A wasp feeding on a 17 year cicada - Polistes fuscatus
Copyright © 2008 Duncan C

A wasp feeding on a 17 year cicada - Polistes fuscatus
Great Falls, Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
May 21, 2004
Size: Quite large (~3cm?)
This shot was taken during the 2004 emergence of the brood X 17 year cicadas. The wasp appeared to be attacking a cicada as it attempted to emerge from it's shell.
I took this shot quite some time ago, and don't have measurements, but 17 year cicadas are quite large, so the wasp mush have been fairly large as well.
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Contributed by Duncan C on 4 July, 2008 - 11:20am

The wasp is
P. fuscatus... interesting find! it looks like the cicada may have died and the wasp was simply taking advantage of that..
… Vespula Vulgaris, 4 July, 2008 - 11:50am login or register to post comments

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