Sphecius
Cicada killer wasps, in the genus Sphecius, are large, solitary wasps that live in the ground. They hunt cicadas and sting them to paralyze them, then stock their nests with the paralyzed prey for their larvae to eat.
There are about 21 Sphecius species worldwide. The greatest diversity is found from North Africa to Central Asia. In North America, the best-known species is the eastern cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus.
Other wasps in related groups are sometimes also called cicada killers, such as Liogorytes (South America) and Exeirus (Australia). The cicada-killing behavior is typical of the tribe Bembicini, which often preys on cicadas and related insects.
Some scientists think the western cicada killer, Sphecius grandis, may actually comprise more than one species. There is also discussion about subspecies or closely related species that resemble Sphecius speciosus, such as Sphecius convallis, and there has been some interbreeding between these groups, though they remain mostly separate species.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:13 (CET).