Cicada Killers, though among the least aggressive wasps, usually attract attention because of their sheer size ranging from 1 ¼ to over 1 ½ inches long. The males are fed less than the females by the mother and therefore are smaller, but are commonly the most visible. Size between males also varies depending on the nourishment available when they hatch in their burrow. Adult males live a very intense few weeks of patrolling, fighting, mating and then they die. Though their responsibilities include defending, they in fact do not have a stinger and mostly buzz loudly and bump into what they perceive as a threat basically trying to scare the threat away.

Adult females spend their time digging burrows and hunting. Once a location is selected, the female will begin excavating the nest by loosening the soil mouth and pushing it out with their legs. The sites they choose will usually include complete exposure to sunlight, and they prefer sandy, well ventilated soil and sparse vegetation, raised sidewalks, drive ways & patio slabs. Their nests can be identified by the mound they leave at the entrance. The cavernous channels will lead to chambers where the female will insert the paralyzed cicada she captured, still alive, with her larvae to feed off. Once the cicada is captured, the cicada killer will try to find a tree or bush to climb so she can glide to her nest, otherwise the cicada is dragged back to the nest. As fall approaches, the larvae will build a cocoon in which they will survive the winter as only one generation occurs per year.

These big creatures are commonly mistaken for Horn tails, European hornets, yellow jackets and great golden digger wasps. Although they are confused with other stinging insects, cicada killer venom is very mild and usually doesn't cause much more then a bump and red mark. Beware, individuals that are allergic to stings should still avoid these insects. Cicada killers have weak stings that are meant to paralyze their prey and damage the vertebrates, not cause pain.