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Project Noah Nature School
Sphecius speciosus
Large hornet or wasp with a immobilized cicada
Wow, that's really neat! I watched him disappear with his prey into a grassy bank alongside the river. Thanks for the comment Aaron, I'm learning new things everyday here on Project Noah....so much fun!
Actually, the cicada is NOT dead. It has been immobilized by the wasp's sting (to be kept fresh), and will be buried in the earth along with a single wasp egg. Her larva will hatch, feast on the cicada, pupate in the soil, and later emerge as an adult wasp. It's a gruesome, yet impressive natural history, indeed!
I just saw one of these for the first time this past weekend. I have never seen a wasp that big before. It was awesome.
Spotted on Jul 31, 2012
Submitted on Jul 31, 2012
