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Photo by G. McIlveen, Jr. Common Name: Mud daubers. Scientific Name: Chalybion, Sceliphron and other genera. Order: Hymenoptera: Sphecidae. Description: Adult mud daubers are 3/4 to 1 inch long wasps, varying in color by species from dull black to black with bright yellow markings to iridescent blue-black.
Mud daubers are one of the several insects you can see buzzing around your house, but there are some key identification characteristics that can distinguish them from the other wasps you may find.
One of the more common species in the south western United States, and particularly in North Texas is the metallic blue mud dauber (Chalybion californicum). This dark-colored wasp shines iridescent blue in the light.
Black and yellow mud daubers primarily prey on relatively small, colorful spiders, such as crab spiders (and related groups), orb weavers and some jumping spiders. They usually find them in and around vegetation. Blue mud daubers are the main predator of the black and brown widow spiders.
In fact, most insect parasitoids are wasps, such is the enormous distribution and prevalence of these highly-specialised animals. Within this group of parasitoid wasps, some build neat little bungalows out of mud. These wasps are called mud daubers, or sometimes mud wasp or dirt dauber.
Mud daubers are wasp-like insects that construct nests from mud. They make a variety of nests ranging from elaborate structures (i.e., multiple tubes several inches long or small vase-like nests attached to plant stems) to merely ‘plastering’ up existing cracks or crevices in wood, stone, or masonry. Many mud daubers will fill holes in ...
3 maj 2023 · Identifying mud daubers. Mud daubers are about three-quarters of an inch to one full inch in length. Across Texas, you’ll find some that are all black, some that are black with yellow markings, and others with an iridescent blue-black color.
