Mud dauber
Overview
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s from either the family Sphecidae
Sphecidae
Sphecidae is a cosmopolitan family of wasps that include digger wasps, mud daubers and other familiar types that all fall under the category of thread-waisted wasps.The are predominently solitary wasp,distributed world wide.At present this family consist of eight subfamilies and three tribes...
or Crabronidae
Crabronidae
Crabronidae is a large family of wasps, that includes nearly all of the species formerly comprising the now-defunct superfamily Sphecoidea. It collectively includes well over 200 genera, containing well over 9000 species. Crabronids were originally a part of Sphecidae, but the latter name is now...
that build their nests from mud. Mud dauber may refer to any of the following common species:
- The solid black organ pipe mud dauberOrgan pipe mud dauberThe organ pipe mud dauber is a type of wasp in the family Crabronidae. They are fairly large wasps, shiny black with pale hind tarsi. Male organ pipe mud daubers are among the few male wasps of any species to stay at the nest...
, Trypoxylon politum (family Crabronidae) - The black and yellow mud dauberBlack and yellow mud dauberBlack and yellow mud dauber is a common name for the sphecid wasp species Sceliphron caementarium. They are solitary insects that build nests out of mud, in sheltered locations, frequently on man-made structure such as bridges, barns, open porches or under the eaves of houses...
, Sceliphron caementarium (family Sphecidae) - The iridescent blue mud dauberBlue mud dauberThe blue mud dauber is a metallic blue species of mud dauber wasp that preys primarily on black widow spiders. It does not build a nest, but uses nests abandoned by other mud dauber wasps. Like other mud daubers, it is rarely aggressive. Blue mud dauber wasps are generally considered beneficial,...
, Chalybion californicum (family Sphecidae)
Mud daubers are long, slender wasps; the latter two species above have thread-like waists.
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