Cicada Killer Wasp
Insect Order Hymenoptera
Family Sphecidae
Sphecius speciosus
August 2004

Upon finding a cicada, the female wasp paralyzes it and carries it back to her underground burrow, where she lays an egg on it. When the egg hatches, the larvae eats the cicada. What a way to go! There's a website with good photos and info on these guys out there.

Days after I told my other friend Matt of the existance of these large wasps, he happened to actually see one doing its thing, and luckily for me had his camera on hand to get these shots:

cicadakiller1 cicadakiller2 cicadakiller3 cicadakiller4
cicada killer 1 cicada killer 2 cicada killer 3 cicada killer 4
cicadakiller5 cicadakiller6 cicadakiller7 cicadakiller8
cicada killer 5 cicada killer 6 cicada killer 7 cicada killer 8

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