Cicada Killer Wasp

Hey all, been a while since I've been around and posted. Glad to be back!! I actually shot this last summer. My main pc crashed and just now getting around to retrieving older pics and getting them edited.

I had never seen one before or been around them, these suckers are big! I thought for sure it would sting ya like a regular wasp but my uncle said they are pretty much harmless to humans. I was freaking out getting THIS close to one! LOL (been stung by wasp before)

Anyways, was shot with my Canon 10D, Sigma 70-300 @ 90mm (on macro setting), f/5.6, ISO 250, 1/90 sec

Thanks for looking, comments & CC welcome

lovely shot of one

Super shot!

Very nice shot.

They seem to like my patio. They dig out enormous mounds of dirt. I have like 30-40 swarming around in the warmer months. Real scary sight. I won't even use my BBQ when they're out. Yeah, I know, they don't sting. But have they got that memo?

Nice shot

MDJAK wrote in post #15493919
Yeah, I know, they don't sting. But have they got that memo?

Here's a shot of one doing its thing. I watched her plunge her 1/2" stinger in that poor cicada about 15 times. I don't think they've got the memo.

I am no expert on these for sure, but I am guessing that was NOT a stinger that you saw. It was probably an ovipositor and the wasp was laying eggs in its victim.

Well, I don't know what an ovipositor is, but I sprayed one with bug spray last season. After it lay dead, a nutty buddy of mine picked it up and examined it. It sure as heck looked like a stinger.

I don't know where they lay their eggs, I just know for the past three years, every time it gets warm weather, they are surrounding my home with a vengeance. I've gone through 50 cans of bug spray. We even go out at night and spray it into their holes, which seems to work somewhat.

We've read on the internet people have resorted to using brake fluid in their holes. I don't want to pour that into my property. The bug spray is bad enough.

Great Macro

Thanks for the response all... yea, they dont look to friendly but even though I was among them shooting, they never once threatened me or came at me!

I've read that they CAN sting people, but you just about have to grab a live one and hold it to get stung. They tend to conserve their venom for prey(cicadas) and necessary defense instead of running "us" off. Cool pic, I've never seen a live one.