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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#325150
Wasp With Cicada - Sphecius speciosus
Copyright © 2009 Peter Stegemann

Wasp With Cicada - Sphecius speciosus
Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, USA
August 25, 2009
Size: Wasp about 1.5 inches
I found this wasp dragging the cicada across a grassy area and up a large oak tree. You can tell the see the size of the wasp by the scale of the cicada. Any idea on the species of wasp?
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Contributed by Peter Stegemann on 25 August, 2009 - 9:02pm
Last updated 26 August, 2009 - 6:33pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Dave Melius, 26 August, 2009 - 6:33pm login or register to post comments

dragging up tree
As I recall, they try to get the cicada high in the tree to launch out toward their burrow, kind of a powered glider. I suspect the cicada is too heavy for any longer distance horizontal flight. The other day I watched one fly straight into a burrow, and it had made a circle around like a plane on standby to land at the airport. I've got an article here if you're interested Cicada Killer Wasp
… Andrew Williams, 26 August, 2009 - 9:37am login or register to post comments

This is a...
Eastern Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus)...

… Ron M., 25 August, 2009 - 9:05pm login or register to post comments

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