Eastern cicada killer wasps (Sphecius speciosus) have been nesting in the concrete patio outside the Earth and Space Science Building at Stony Brook University for at least three years. Signs have been erected to let people know that males cannot sting and females only sting when handled.

The photo below is of a cluster of male cicada killer wasps attached to a mating pair of wasps. The cluster was observed for half an hour. At least twice, a male was observed entering or leaving the cluster. According to Prof. Chuck Holliday's Cicada Killer Page's excellent description of mating behavior, copulation lasts for approximately one hour.

Cluster of Males Surrounding Copulating Cicada Killer Wasps

Photo by Sandy Richard on July 27, 2008.
Click photo for Flickr photo page.

Only the female cicada killers hunt for cicadas. They attempt to paralyze the much larger cicada by stinging it. If they are successful, they must then bring it back to a chamber in their burrow where they will lay an egg on it. The cicada will remain paralyzed and serve as food when the egg hatches in a few days. The cicada is usually too heavy for the cicada killer to fly upward while carrying it. After flying downward with their prey, they will sometimes drag it up another tree and fly with it again. They eventually drag the cicada the remaining distance to their tunnel entrance and down into the nesting chamber they have excavated.
A cicada killer with its prey recently collided with my husband and became lodged in his clothing as he entered the building near the burrows. The wasp dropped the cicada and flew up into a light fixture. We released the wasp and I photographed the cicada before placing it near the burrow.

Cicada Killer Dragging Cicada

Photo by Sandy Richard on July 27, 2009.
Click photo for Flickr photo page.

Paralyzed Cicada Dropped by Cicada Killer after Collision with My Husband

Photo by Sandy Richard on August 5, 2009.
Click photo for Flickr photo page.

After the cicada killer brings the paralyzed cicada down to her nesting cell, she lays an egg on the cicada. To develop female offspring, she will fertilize the egg using the sperm she has stored in a special sack. She will also have to go out and catch another cicada before sealing up the nest. Female cicadas require a larger food supply because they need to be larger than the males. To produce a male, she will seal up the nesting chamber right away after laying an egg, without fertilizing it, and hunt for another cicada to put in another of her nesting chambers.

Female cicada killers have what appear to be much tougher lives than males. They have to dig extensive tunnels, catch and sting cicadas, and arduously bring the cicadas to their nesting cells. Males emerge in Stony Brook in July a few weeks before the females. Large numbers of them can be seen flying around almost constantly as they try to establish territories. After the females emerge, males fly around less and can be seen hanging around, presumably waiting for a virgin female to show up. They pretty much spend the rest of their short lives waiting for opportunities for really long periods of copulating.

Male Cicada Killer Waiting for a Virgin Female

Photo by Sandy Richard on July 26, 2007.
Click photo for Flickr photo page.

Female Cicada Killer Excavating Tunnel

Photo by Sandy Richard on August 7, 2006.
Click photo for Flickr photo page.

I have also photographed a single male wasp on the beach at Wildwood State Park. I am not sure how they common they are here.

Male Cicada Killer on Beach

Photo by Sandy Richard on August 6, 2007
Click photo for Flickr photo page.

Links for Additional Information and Photos

Prof. Chuck Holliday's Cicada Killer Page Extremely thorough descriptions of all aspects of the life of cicada killer wasps.

Life Cycle of the Cicada Killer Nice summarry of the life cycle of a cicada killer with thumbnail photo links to additional photos, videos, and research information.

Cicada Killer Wasp, Sand Hornet, Sphecius speciosus Brief but interesting and informative summary of cicada killer behavior.

Cicada Killers and Their Victims My collection of additional photos and a very short video on Flickr.

Parasitic Hymenopterans by Millie Phillips (pdf) Interesting information about predators of cicada killers. The article starts on the bottom right of the first page of the newsletter.