CLOSED: Enormous Wasp

For about half an hour while picking bush beans this afternoon, I was watching an enormous wasp. This thing was BIG, I'd say 1 3/4" in length with a wingspan about the same.

The abdomen was banded with alternate light yellow and black stripes, and the thorax and wings (which were a blur) were reddish-brown. The abdomen was wide, about 1/4" in diameter, and came to a point at the end.

It hovered around the bean plants for a half hour, like it was searching all among the leaves. There were plenty of blossoms but it never landed - I think it's a hunter looking for insects. I couldn't get a picture because it was flying, and it hovered about 6" in front of my face several times. I had my ball cap ready to swat at it if it attacked - but it didn't and I didn't want to start any hostilities I probably wouldn't win.

This wasp is so big the wings make a loud "buzz" when it flies. I could hear it from 20 feet away. I'm familiar with yellow jackets, red hornets, and such, but I've never seen this before. It's a real impressive insect - the B-52 of wasps, and I bet its' sting could put a serious hurt on someone. It wasn't aggressive, though, and it's probably a beneficial insect-eater.

Does anyone here know what that was? Thanks.

Cicada Killer by your description.

"Cicada Killer by your description."
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Yes, that's it - Sphecius speciosus.

I read up on them, and they're non-aggressive toward humans and the venom is very mild - it's made for paralyzing cicadas rather than causing pain in mammals. That means we'll get along just fine.

Turns out, I even know where the burrow is. I've noticed a burrow with a trench leading to it (as described in the article I read) in the sandy, dry soil in my tractor shed near the vegetable garden. I wondered what made that.

I'm glad these wasps aren't as fearsome as they look. Thanks, I learned something!

I don't think I want to try getting stung by them though to find out how mild the stings actually are. Kind of like they say the male carpenter bees have no stingers but the females do. I don't want to test that theory either.

Anyway I hosed one of these huge wasps down many years ago (about the size of a small hummingbird) and put it in a jar in the refrigerator. Took it to work the next week and my friend knew someone on another floor that was into insects and that is how I found out what it was (when the internet was in its infancy). I took it back home and kept it cool for a few more days and finally released it after taking some pictures of it. The interesting thing (or not) about this particular wasp was it kept visiting our yard every day to a pile of dog poop and that is how I ended up hosing it down. I found that very odd but since that time I've seen hornets and yellow jackets do the same thing. What's up with that?

hcmcdole - I harvested a couple of rows of cabbage heads next to those beans in the garden the other day, and I tore off the outer leaves and left them on the ground. Now that part of my garden stinks of rotting cabbage.

Maybe those cicada killer wasps are attracted to, and feed on, decaying smelly things like rotten cabbage and dog poop? Just a theory.

Good theory. Maybe their prey is drawn to rotting, smelly stuff?

Here is a hornet I snapped a picture of a couple of years ago - I stood back at a good safe distance.