The Eastern Cicada Killer, Sphecius speciosus, is a strikingly large, solitary wasp native to North America. Often exceeding one and a half inches in length, this insect is commonly seen during the summer when its life cycle aligns with the emergence of its specialized prey. Despite its fearsome appearance, the female cicada killer is a docile creature that only uses its powerful sting to subdue prey, not to defend itself against humans unless handled roughly. The species exhibits a complex dietary distinction, as the food source for the mature adult is completely different from the nourishment required for its developing offspring.
What Adult Cicada Killers Eat
The diet of the adult Eastern Cicada Killer is vegetarian, focused entirely on maintaining the wasp’s high energy demands for flight and reproduction. Mature wasps feed on readily available liquid sugars, primarily flower nectar gathered from various plants. This sugar intake provides the necessary fuel for the long flights associated with hunting and digging extensive underground burrows. Adults will also consume sweet plant juices and sap that seeps from wounds on trees or other vegetation. The large, flying wasps do not consume the cicadas they hunt. The sole purpose of the captured cicada is to serve as a high-protein, living meal for the next generation of wasps.
The Larval Diet: Cicadas
The namesake of Sphecius speciosus is derived from the diet of its larvae, which consists of large, paralyzed cicadas. The female wasp targets species such as the annual Dog Day cicadas (Neotibicen spp.) active during the summer. This specialized prey provides the rich nutrients necessary for the larva to complete its growth and metamorphosis.
The female provisions each underground nest cell with one to three cicadas to ensure her offspring’s survival. The number of cicadas placed is determined by the sex of the egg laid on the prey. Female larvae, which grow significantly larger than males, are provisioned with two or three cicadas, while male larvae typically require only one to reach maturity. The cicada serves as the only food source for the larva, which hatches and feeds continuously for about two weeks before overwintering.
The Hunting and Provisioning Process
The female cicada killer is a dedicated hunter, locating cicadas in trees and shrubs, often by sight. Once a cicada is caught, the wasp uses its stinger to inject a paralyzing venom directly into the prey’s nervous system. The venom is not intended to kill the cicada outright, but rather to immobilize it completely, preserving the insect in a fresh, living state.
Transporting the heavy, paralyzed cicada back to the burrow is a challenging process, as the prey can often weigh more than the wasp itself. The female may drag the cicada across the ground or, impressively, fly it a short distance. If the capture occurs on the ground, the wasp may climb a nearby vertical structure, such as a tree trunk, to gain altitude for a more efficient flight back to the nest entrance.
Once the cicada is moved into the pre-dug underground burrow, the female deposits it into a small chamber, or cell. She then lays a single egg directly onto the paralyzed body of the cicada. After the egg is laid, the female seals the cell with soil before repeating the entire process for the next egg. The immobilized cicada remains fresh and serves as a sustained food source for the larva, which hatches a few days later and begins to feed.