Annual Cicada: AKA Dog Day Harvestfly

Subject:  Wasp? Beetle? what is it..
Geographic location of the bug:  New York City, West Village
Date: 08/31/2021
Time: 02:50 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This bug landed on my shoulder. I thought a really large drop of water hit me. It was quite strong impact. I looked over and it was on my shoulder. I flicked it off, it flew around in  circles and landed on the sidewalk. About 2-1/2″ long. 3/4″ wide. Very stout, large, insect. What the heck is it? I’ve never seen one in 50 years in NYC.
How you want your letter signed :  J. Kastor

Figured it out-
It’s our new super noisy Cicada neighbors..: )

Dog Day Harvestfly

Dear J. Kastor,
We are happy to hear you figured out the identity of this Annual Cicada, sometimes called a Dog Day Harvestfly because they appear in the latter part of summer.  Many people compare their appearance to a giant fly.  Daniel really enjoyed listening to their numbers grow in Ohio during the first three weeks of August.  There is a large wasp known as a Cicada Killer that preys on Cicadas not to eat but to feed a brood, stinging the Cicada to paralyze it and then burying the Cicada alive to serve as fresh meat when the Cicada Killer’s egg hatches.  One of our favorite letters ever is the account of a Cicada Killer hunting a Cicada in Manhattan.

 

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