Cicada killer wasps
Among the largest of the wasps in NY, cicada killers are gentle giants and very unlikely to sting. Each female digs her own burrow into bare soil patches and soil in stone retaining walls. They capture cicadas up in the trees and drag them down into burrows to feed developing larvae. Cicada killer males are most visible as they guard females and burrows, and chase off competitors, but cannot sting. They tend to fly toward people as intimidation, but not aggression.