Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Woah! Unbelieveable!, 1 by Vee8ch

Vee8ch wrote:
For 3 days I've been noticing a hole that is being dug beside one of my newly planted brugs. I didn't have a clue what it could be and I just kept covering it back up. This morning out of the corner of my eye I saw something fly into the opening. I ran inside and grabbed my camera and waited. I was not ready for what came out. I've never seen such a huge wasp/hornet in my life. It was 1.5-2" long with an incredible wing span. It scared me real bad and I snapped the picture real fast and ran ... lol

I was able to id it as a Cicada Killer, Giant Ground Hornet, Sphecius hogardii (Latreille), very rare and very beneficial.
The description says they don't sting unless you handle the female so now I'll feel more comfortable to take my time and hopefully get clearer pictures.