Cicada Killer Wasps Facts

The cicada killer wasp, or sand hornet, is a large insect common in Midwestern and Southern states. It is known for the holes it digs in the ground to store cicadas as food for its young.

  1. Features

    • Cicada killers are 1 1/2 inches in length with a black body and yellow striped abdomen. Its head and thorax are a dark rusty red color. Its wings are amber with a 3-inch wing span.

    Burrows

    • Burrows are made in the ground by the female mid-July in full sun away from vegetation. Each burrow may have 10 to 20 chambers.

    Cicada and Eggs

    • Females paralyze cicadas with a sting. They place one cicada in chambers where male eggs are laid or two cicadas in chambers were female eggs are laid.

    Larva

    • When hatched, larva feed on the cicada becoming full grown in one week. Larva spin cocoons, which lay underground all winter. The cocoons burst with new wasps, which eat their way out to the surface in the spring.

    Misconceptions

    • Cicada killer wasps may try to deter anything from coming near nests but they usually do not sting humans or animals. They are good for the environment as they keep down the cicada population in the garden.