Cicada Killer Wasp vs South American Grain Stem Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cicada Killer Wasp South American Grain Stem Sawfly
Scientific Name Sphecius speciosus Cephus fumipennis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Crabronidae Cephidae
Size 30-50 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Farmland
Diet Predators Seed Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Central Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

South American Grain Stem Sawfly

A slender black stem sawfly with smoky wings and yellow abdominal bands. It attacks cereal grain stems in parts of Europe and Asia.

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Did You Know?

Like other cephid stem borers, the larva constructs a silken cocoon inside the hollowed-out stem base where it overwinters before pupating in spring.