Now is the time for big, meaty Tibicen cicadas, and nothing loves Tibicens more than Cicada Killer Wasps. Cicada Killer Wasps are large wasps that use living cicada bodies to nourish their wasp larvae.
People fear these wasps, but they’re not interested in people — only cicadas. They’ll only attack people if people attack them. So keep your distance, but don’t bother to kill them. Respect them, but don’t wreck them.
Prof. Chuck Holiday has the best information about these wasps.
Joe Green sent us this photo of a Cicada Killer Wasp clutching a cicada. See if you can spot the cicada under the wasp.
Amazement insect, regrettable that a wasp fence to catch a Tibicen to feed the larvae, Ontígola’ve seen this kind of wasps or a very similar and a large, is really amazing to see how olive olive tree by looking at Cicada Orni and Tettigetta argentata and those which exist in this type of tree, I never stopped to observe them and see how acting to find a cicada here in Ontígola there are no cicadas, and died in early August and I’m very sad about this because I could not take pictures because I crashed in my camera.
Great picture, greetings.
Comment by Iván Jesús — August 14, 2008 @ 3:44 am
I have always hated cicadas more than any other part of August. I would be delighted to have cicada killers in my yard! Can the cocoons be purchased? Are there ways to attract them to your yard?
Comment by eldon gilbert — September 9, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
I have two of them flying around here. I call them “Bertha” and “Big Bertha”. I just leave them alone and they never bother me.
Comment by Steve — September 10, 2008 @ 5:51 am
Is there any way to tell from afar the male vs. female? (I’m scared to death of them but I’ve read the males can’t sting.)
Comment by Jeanne — October 13, 2008 @ 12:51 pm