Cicada killer wasps ( genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide are recognized. The highest diversity occurs in the region between North Africa and Central Asia. In North America, the term "cicada killer wasp" usually refers to the most well-known species, the

eastern cicada killer ''Sphecius speciosus'', often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk, is a large, solitary digger wasp species in the family Crabronidae. The name may be applied to any species of crabronid that preys on cicadas, though in No ...

(''S. speciosus''). A few other related genera also are sometimes referred to as "cicada killers", e.g. ''

Liogorytes The genus ''Liogorytes'' comprises a group of large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory South American wasps which hunt cicadas as prey. It is related to the more common genus of cicada killers, ''Sphecius''. References

Crabronidae ...

'' in South America and ''

Exeirus The Australian cicada killer wasp, ''Exeirus lateritius'', the sole member of the genus ''Exeirus'', is a large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasp. It is related to the more common genus of cicada killers, '' Sphecius''. In Australia, ' ...

'' in Australia. The use of cicadas as prey is in keeping with the typical behavior of the tribe

Gorytini Gorytini is a large and morphologically very diverse group of hunting wasps distributed worldwide and particularly species-rich in tropical areas. Most species hunt various hemipterans, especially among the Auchenorrhyncha, which they sting, pa ...

, which tend to specialize on various members of the Cicadomorpha as prey items.

Species

This list of species is probably complete as of March 31, 2009. It has been adapted from th
Catalog of ''Sphecius'' species
(California Academy of Sciences). Notable

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are also given. More recently, it has been suspected that the

western cicada killer ''Sphecius grandis'', also called the western cicada killer, is a species of cicada killer wasp (''Sphecius''). The western species shares the same nesting biology as its fellow species, the eastern cicada killer ('' S. speciosus''). ''S. ...

('' S. grandis'') represents more than one species. Also, some evidence suggests that either the

('' S. speciosus'') has a subspecies or closely related species that mimics the Pacific cicada killer ('' S. convallis''). Alternatively, when they were already well distinct species, significant

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

ization has occurred between them, though not enough to fully overcome their

reproductive isolation The mechanisms of reproductive isolation are a collection of evolutionary mechanisms, behaviors and physiological processes critical for speciation. They prevent members of different species from producing offspring, or ensure that any offspring ...

. * '' Sphecius antennatus'' (Klug, 1845) (Southern and Eastern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia) * '' Sphecius citrinus'' Arnold, 1929 (South Africa) * '' Sphecius claripennis'' Morice, 1911 (North Africa) * '' Sphecius conicus'' (Germar, 1817) (Balkans, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Greece) ** ''Sphecius conicus creticus'' de Beaumont, 1965 (Crete) ** ''Sphecius conicus syriacus'' (Klug, 1845) (Syria to China) * '' Sphecius convallis'' Patton, 1879 – Pacific cicada killer (Mexico: Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora; USA: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington) * '' Sphecius grandidieri'' (de Saussure, 1887) (Madagascar) * '' Sphecius grandis'' (Say, 1823) – western cicada killer (Costa Rica; Mexico: Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Yucatán; Nicaragua; USA: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington) * '' Sphecius hemixanthopterus'' Morice, 1911 (Algeria) * ''

Sphecius hogardii ''Sphecius hogardii'', the Caribbean cicada killer, is a species of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is found in the Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of th ...

'' (Latreille, 1806) – Caribbean cicada killer (Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, USA: southern Florida) ** ''Sphecius hogardii bahamas'' Krombein, 1953 (Bahama Islands: Bimini) * '' Sphecius intermedius'' Handlirsch, 1895 (Algeria) * ''

Sphecius lutescens Cicada killer wasps (genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide are ...

'' (Radoszkowski, 1877) (Central Asia) * ''

Sphecius malayanus Cicada killer wasps ( genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide ...

'' Handlirsch, 1895 (Indonesia: Timor, Sumbava) * ''

Sphecius milleri Cicada killer wasps ( genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide ...

'' R.Turner, 1915 (Zambia) ** ''Sphecius milleri aurantiacus'' Arnold, 1940 (Ethiopia) * '' Sphecius nigricornis'' (Dufour, 1838) (Southern and Eastern Europe, North Africa) * ''

Sphecius pectoralis Cicada killer wasps ( genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide ...

'' (F.Smith, 1856) (Australia) * '' Sphecius persa'' Gussakovskij, 1933 (Iran, Afghanistan) * '' Sphecius quartinae'' (Gribodo, 1884) (Guinea, Somalia) * '' Sphecius schulthessi'' Roth, 1951 (North Africa) * ''

Sphecius speciosus ''Sphecius speciosus'', often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk, is a large, solitary digger wasp species in the family Crabronidae. The name may be applied to any species of crabronid that preys on cicadas, though in N ...

'' (Drury, 1773) – Eastern cicada killer (Central and North America: Honduras to Ontario, Canada) * ''

Sphecius spectabilis Cicada killer wasps (genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide ar ...

'' (Taschenberg, 1875) –

South American cicada killer South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*su ...

(Brazil, Argentina) * ''

Sphecius uljanini Cicada killer wasps ( genus ''Sphecius'') are large, solitary, ground-dwelling, predatory wasps. They are so named because they hunt cicadas and provision their nests with them, after stinging and paralyzing them. Twenty-one species worldwide ...

'' (Radoszkowski, 1877) (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran)

References

External links

cicada killers, ''Sphecius'' spp.
on the UF /

IFAS IFAS may refer: * Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences * Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge, a sewage treatment process * International French adjectival system In rock climbing, mountaineering, and other climbing disciplines, clim ...

Featured Creatures Web site {{Taxonbar, from=Q2710050 Crabronidae Biological pest control wasps Taxa named by Anders Gustaf Dahlbom