Written by: Nicholas Moy
The Eastern Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus) is a local wasp that doesn’t mess around. Like any good mother, this Hymenoptera is just looking out for her young, however not many mom’s would go to such extreme measures.
A cicada killer. Photo by Lynette Schimming
A female cicada killer lives in a well-kept home, a burrow, that may extend multiple feet underground. After conception the killer takes to the skies to stake out her first victim. As the name implies, she is hunting for cicadas. Once she has determined her target she quickly paralyzes it with its large stinger, and then grabs the cicada upside down using her legs. Next is the hard part, taking care of the body; the long journey back to the burrow begins. A cicada killer may drag the cicada by foot, fly the cicada, or even climb a tree and then fly in a gliding fashion toward the burrow if home is too far away. Once home, the killer then drags the cicada into the depths of the burrow and stores the body in a pre-made cell. The soon-to-be mother lays her eggs on the secured cicada carcass, which will serve as the larvae’s food for the next two weeks. The venom of the paralyzing sting keeps the cicada meal preserved for twice as long as normal, long enough for larvae to eat it and grow into prepupae for the winter. This is another natural example of a mother that will do anything for her kin, even kill!
