Eastern Cicada Killer (Sphecius Speciosus) on Giant Angelica
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NYC, NY. Full spectrum color photo… ✍ The name is sort of deceptive -- or maybe overly-inclusive is the better term.... Anyway, it's not the adults that feed on the cicadas. Females, which are much bigger than males, dig burrows for their offspring.... Upon completion of the dig, they hunt down cicadas and sting them, paralyzing them, and carry them back to the burrow where they lay their eggs on the cicadas for the offspring to feed one when they hatch.... Usually it's one cicada per male offspring and 2-3 for female offspring because they are much bigger. This is common behavior among digger wasps. Adults feed primarily on nectar. One thing that sets these apart in the USA is their sheer size... These insects, particularly females, are very big and intimidating -- though harmless to humans unless handled very roughly at which point they have no choice but to sting. Females are nearly the size of hummingbirds! |
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