CLOSED: Help id this scary bug

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sgville Gainesville, FL(Zone 9a) Jul 31, 2010

I think it is a wasp. The average size I'm seeing is two and a half inches long. How do I get rid of them? I would perfer a non toxic to dogs solution.

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Aug 01, 2010

This beautiful insect is Sphecius speciosus, a wasp in the family Sphecidae known as the cicada killer. The females dig burrows in the soil that they then provision with cicadas that their larvae feed upon. The females are not aggressive towards humans, and it is difficult to get stung by one unless you were to deliberately pick one of them up. The males lack a stinger, but guard their territories vigorously, and will literally 'get in your face' should you get too close, but it is all a bluff. As they usually breed in exposed, sandy soil, you can discourage their presence by covering such areas with mulch or seeding it to grass. See http://tinyurl.com/2f8oncm for links to more detailed information.

This message was edited Aug 1, 2010 8:06 AM

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shytonak Bandar-e-Abbas, Iran Aug 01, 2010

hi.this wasp is Eastern Cicada Killer, Sphecius speciosus.

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karinam Salem, WI Aug 01, 2010

Can anyone identify this insect? It looks like some kind of wasp. It had a very long , what looks to be a stinger. I've only seen it this one time.

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shytonak Bandar-e-Abbas, Iran Aug 01, 2010

if you want to know an insect id you must open a new thread.ok
this wasp is Tremex columba

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