What kind of hornet / wasp is this?

flatfoot

Senior Member
I think this is the first of this kind I have ever seen. I didn’t have any coins for reference size, so I used a plain ole master lock key, it doesn’t quite do justice, this thing was about the size of the European hornet. 9E729275-49C6-4AB1-BA1E-56EAD9FAD740.jpeg
 

treemanjohn

Banned
Cicada killer. They're actually quite docile despite their constant intrusion into your personal space to make sure there's not a cicada hiding on you. Wouldn't want to make one mad though.
My ex brother in law was drunk grilling and one was buzzing around him. He reached out and grabbed it out of the air and it stung him. His hand swelled up and looked like he had a boxing glove on and you couldn't see a gap between his index, middle, and ring finger. Dummy...
 

rosewood

Senior Member
Those things are huge. They fly slow like bumble bees. You could grab one out of the air, but I wouldn't try it. Saw some pics where a guy gently caught one and let it walk on his hand. They catch cicadas bigger than themselves and fly them back to their nest to feed the young.

Rosewood
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
They won't bother you. About as peceful nature as it gets when it comes to wasps.
 

Beenslayin

Senior Member
I was cleaning the windows inside my wife's car with only one door open. One of those flew in there, landed on my hand. I was waving my hand so fast I thought there was 2 of them on me. I don't even remember exiting the vehicle but managed to somehow bust the windex bottle open and it leaked all over the seat. I couldn't find it after that but we closed the car up and let it sit for 2 days. I was convinced it was a Japanese hornet, but I finally found the cicada killer, I think in a UGA article. I have seen a few since then and from what I have seen is they are pretty docile. I read the female can sting but the male can't. I don't mind red wasps or those larger black ones but bald faced hornet's, yellow jackets and European hornets can all go to you know where.
 

flatfoot

Senior Member
I had another one come by earlier this evening, in the same general area. I left this one alone. Thanks for the info!
 

ghadarits

Senior Member
If you're seeing them regularly I'd bet there is a pile of soft dirt or sand close by. If you find a pile of sand or loose dirt and there a a bunch of 1 inch holes in it those guys are burying cicadas in there for their babies to eat.

I've seen that several times.
 

JustUs4All

Slow Mod
Staff member
Cow killer is a name given to velvet ants in my area. They are an orange and black wingless wasp that also lives in a hole in the ground.
 

rosewood

Senior Member
Cow killer is a name given to velvet ants in my area. They are an orange and black wingless wasp that also lives in a hole in the ground.
That is what we call them.
 

Gary Mercer

Senior Member
These guys love to nest in the edges of the sand traps at the golf course. You should see the golfers scatter when they come out in force.
 

flintlock hunter

Senior Member
Is a Cicada Killer the same as a ground hornet?


I can't say if Cicada Killers live in the ground, but up here those little little nasty buggers they call ground hornets are also called yellow jackets. You really haven't lived until you plow up a nest of them and they after you, and only you!
 
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Artfuldodger

Senior Member
We had them in our yard but only for one year. Probably had about 6-8 nest holes. We also had a lot of cicada's that summer too. I read that Their offspring seems to return to the same spot every year but ours didn't.
 
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