I have seen
cicada killer wasp holes for the past couple weeks and also the cicada killer wasps, but this week was the first week I have heard cicadas.
Some people do not like these insects, but if you leave them alone, they leave you alone. They prey on cicadas, paralyzing them with a sting, then hauling them to their burrow. There they lay an egg on the poor cicada, which hatches into a larva that eats the cicada. There are a lot of predatory wasps that prey on other insects in this way, from very small ones to large ones like the cicada killers.
The wasp would not pose for me, but I was able to get a picture of it in flight.
Some people do not like these insects, but if you leave them alone, they leave you alone. They prey on cicadas, paralyzing them with a sting, then hauling them to their burrow. There they lay an egg on the poor cicada, which hatches into a larva that eats the cicada. There are a lot of predatory wasps that prey on other insects in this way, from very small ones to large ones like the cicada killers.
The wasp would not pose for me, but I was able to get a picture of it in flight.
I was stung by one of these critters the other day - 2 of my toes swelled to twice their size and hurt for hours, much worse than a bee or wasp sting. I will forever be cautious walking through grass in open-toed shoes.
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