Cicada Killers earned their common name for good reason. They will hunt down flying Cicadas and attack them in-flight. The Cicada may buzz and try to escape, but if the Cicada Killer catches them, it will sting them and fly them back to their nest for consumption. Even their larvae eat Cicadas. Adults also drink flower nectar. The larger the population of Cicadas, the more likely you will see Cicada Killers partaking of the abundance.
The fast and large Cicada Killer looks intimidating to people, but it rarely stings people that leave it alone. They are sometimes considered a nuisance because they build their nests in the ground, making it difficult to play outside or mow the lawn in that area. The nests are sometimes mistaken to be small animal burrows, but activity by the wasps entering and leaving eventually makes it apparent who it living in it.
They are mostly seen in the summer and females work together to dig out nests underground before laying eggs in the tunnels. Cicadas that are caught are placed inside the tunnels near an egg so that the hatching wasp larva has something to eat.
Adult Size (Length): 30mm to 50mm (1.18in to 1.97in)