Giant wasp?

[upgw]

Since the TBN folks successfully identified the Hummingbird moth for another person, thought I'd throw another bug question out there. My neighbor has these truly giant "bees" buzzing about, which are probably hornets, look like yellow jackets, except 1.5 to 2 inches long (very scary looking). I figured they were European Hornets, except that they are living in the ground, in individual holes (it appears), in an area that wasn't seeded (just dirt). Any ideas?

Thanks,
- Patrick W.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Could it be a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ozane.com/potm/potm-diggerbees.htm>Digger Bee</A>?

 

[beagdog]

Take a look at these pages. They may be cicada killers.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2078A.html

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/misc/ef004.htm

 

[upgw]

Hmm, I don't think so, looks more like a giant yellow jacket than a wood bee... I think the other post thinking "Cicada Killer" might be on the money...

- P

 

[Bird]

Very interesting. That cicada killer is something I'd never heard of, but I have had something digging burrows in a sandy spot for the last couple of months and then Thursday for the first time, saw what we thought might be some kind of hornet (only one we've ever seen). And it sure looks like that cicada killer.

 

[patrickg]

Cicada Killers are fun to watch. True to their name, they kill cicadas and schlep them back to their hole in the ground (but it is a house to them... with apologies to Monty Python's Flying Circus)

Patrick

 

[TerryinMD]

Cicada killers are truely amazing to watch.

I haven't seen one in a few years but we watched them excavate and then deposit a cicada in one of their burrows. I could not believe my eyes to watch that insect carrying something almost twice a big as itself. When they get tired, they will then drag the cicada along the ground to get to their burrow.

Just think about it. Hugging a large critter and flying thru the air. An amazing sight to witness.

Terry

 

[patrickg]

I'm just glad they aren't much bigger so as to endanger newborn stock!

Patrick

 

[upgw]

They are amazing, if a little scary when you get a lot of them flying around. The kids were getting really close to them, and they dive-bombed the kids a little, but otherwises didn't mind the close quarters. I told them not to press their luck... they seem to have the temperament of carpenter bees, buzz around, but pretty harmless. There certainly are plenty of cicadas for them to eat.. another scary looking (but harmless) bug...

- Patrick W.