I found this little lady transporting an important item of groceries — a stung and paralyzed cicada into which she will lay her eggs. When they hatch, the larvae will feast on the zombie cicada, then burst out into the world. Male cicada killers are smaller and do not sting. The cicada she is hauling is as big as she is and probably heavier.
As I mowed our lawn, I spotted a motion in the grass not yet cut. It was this little guy, getting the heck out of the way. Since he was obliging, I picked him up and photographed him inside. He seemed to be more willing to pose toward the end of the session. When I placed him in a safe place outside, he left my hand gently, like a rain breeze.
This small friend crawled up a tree in my presence, so I got a camera to capture the twin large eye-like sigils on her back. A large animal at over three inches, she moved quickly toward the top branches, but I was lucky to feast my eyes for as long as I did.
