#3655 · 🐝 bees, wasps & ants

Eastern Cicada-killer Wasp

Sphecius speciosus

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Judy Gallagher · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. © Paul Meredith · CC BY-NC 4.0
3. © David Kaposi · CC BY-NC 4.0
4. © Andy · CC BY-NC 4.0
5. © Mark Nofsinger · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. Lancaster:© toxican · CC BY-NC 4.0
7. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo:© Rob Curtis · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
8. Cape May County, NJ, USA:© Andrew Dreelin · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. Arlington, MA 02476, USA:© Tom Norton · CC BY 4.0
10. Ohio, US:© Donna J. Parry · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

Sphecius speciosus , often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk , is a large digger wasp species. Cicada killers are large, solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae. The name may be applied to any species of crabronid which preys on cicadas, though in North America it is typically applied to a single species, S. speciosus . However, since there are multiple species of related wasps, it is more appropriate to call it the eastern...

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 32,325iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
32,325 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by Dru Drury in 1773 (253 years ago).