Cicada Killer Wasp vs Field Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cicada Killer Wasp Field Cockroach
Scientific Name Sphecius speciosus Blattella vaga
Order Hymenoptera Blattodea
Family Crabronidae Ectobiidae
Size 30-50 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions North America Southwestern United States, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Cicada Killer Wasp

A large solitary wasp that provisions its burrow with paralyzed cicadas.

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Did You Know?

A female can carry a cicada weighing more than herself in flight back to her burrow.

Field Cockroach

A small cockroach similar to the German cockroach but with a dark face. It lives outdoors in irrigated areas of the southwestern United States.

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Did You Know?

Its dark facial markings are the easiest way to distinguish it from the indoor-dwelling German cockroach.