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Sphecius speciosus
Cicada Killer Wasps are about 1-1 1/2 inches in length and sport bright rust and yellow coloration: head and thorax are rusty red, abdominal segments are banded with yellow, and wings are rust colored. Their large size will certainly catch your attention. While they can give a painful sting, females rarely pay attention to humans. However, breeding males are more aggressive and are easily disturbed.
Sunny sandy banks where females can dig multi-chambered nests up to six inches deep. If there is an abundance of cicadas, look for Cicada killer wasps hunting and nesting from July to August.
Female Cicada Killer Wasps will dig multi chambered burrows in the sand along sunny banks where she will deposit eggs along with a paralyzed cicada or two. The developing larva will feed on the cicadas while it develops through several molts until it pupates. The pupa will winter over in the burrow and emerge the following spring as a full breeding adult. This individual and one other female were observed making their nests in a sandy bank along the Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona.
Spotted on Jul 4, 2012
Submitted on Jul 10, 2012
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