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Chalybion californicum is a metallic blue mud dauber wasp that predates on black widow spiders. It is native to North America and has been introduced to other regions, where it pollinates some wildflowers.
Learn about the blue mud wasp (Chalybion californicum), a wasp that feeds on nectar and spiders, including the venomous black widow. Discover how it builds its nest by stealing and reforming nests of other wasps.
Chalybion is a genus of blue mud dauber wasps in the family Sphecidae. Chalybion species nest in a wide range of natural and artificial cavities such as holes in wood, walls, plant stems, etc., where they typically provision their brood cells with paralyzed spiders.
17 lis 2022 · The blue mud dauber or common blue mud dauber is an impressive solitary wasp endemic to the Nearctic realm. In 1867, it was first described by Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure. It usually is calm and not aggressive towards humans.
Blue mud daubers are the main predator of the black and brown widow spiders. Adults of both sexes frequently drink flower nectar, but they stock their nests with spiders, which serve as food for their offspring. Mud daubers prefer particular kinds and sizes of spiders for their larders.
Learn about mud daubers, solitary wasps that build nests with mud and spiders. Find out how they hunt, sing, and defend themselves, and see pictures of the Blue Mud Dauber and other species.
During the summer, female blue mud wasps build nests by bringing water to abandoned mud nests made by other species of wasps (mainly the genus Sceliphron). They form new mud chambers, stock them with paralyzed spiders and a single egg, then seal the chambers with more mud.
