Are mud dobbers a kind of paper wasps?
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Mud dauber (or "mud wasp") is a name commonly applied to a number of wasps from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae that build their nests from mud. Mud daubers belong to different families and are variable in appearance. Most resemble long, slender wasps about in length. The name refers to the nests that are made by the female wasps, which consist of mud molded into place by the wasp's mandibles. Mud daubers are not normally aggressive, but can become belligerent when threatened. Stings are uncommon.
Mud dauber
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Most social wasps of the family Vespidae make nests from paper, but some stenogastrine species, such as "Liostenogaster flavolineata", use mud. A small group of eusocial crabronid wasps, of the genus "Microstigmus" (the only eusocial wasps outside the family Vespidae), also constructs nests out of chewed plant fibers, though the nest consistency is quite different from those of true paper wasps, due to the absence of wood fibers, and the use of silk extruded by female wasps to bind the fibers.
Paper wasp
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All three species may occupy the same sites year after year, creating large numbers of nests. Mud dauber nests can last many years in protected locations and are often used as nest sites by other kinds of wasps and bees, as well as other types of insects.
Mud dauber
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The blue mud dauber ("Chalybion californicum") is a metallic blue species of mud dauber wasp that is the primary predator of black widow spiders. Females build their own nests, but occasionally refurbish nests abandoned by other mud dauber wasps, particularly "Sceliphron". It is not normally aggressive. It is similar in shape and colour to the steel-blue cricket hunter ("Chlorion aerarium"). Like other types of wasps, males do not have an ovipositor, therefore cannot sting.
Blue mud dauber
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The ruby-tailed wasp possesses an ovipositor, which evolved from the usual stinging apparatus of most Hymenopterans. Ruby-tailed wasps have been reported to parasitize a variety of hosts, and thus their ovipositor has evolved to be a multi-tool for infiltrating the nests of different wasps. For example, in parasitizing the mud nest of a digger wasp, the female ruby-tailed wasp will first wet a point of the dry mud before attempting to saw through it with her ovipositor. After several repetitions, she will succeed, and can then deposit her egg near or in the host wasp larval cell or cocoon. In the case of parasitizing paper wasp or mason bee, the ruby-tailed wasp’s strong, indented ovipositor is used in a similar fashion to cut through the nest substrate to get to the host young. After the egg is deposited, the ruby-tailed wasp will cover the hole with the original nest material to leave minimal traces of its infiltration. It is essential that both she and her egg remain undetected to ensure the success of her offspring.
Chrysis ignita
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The black and yellow mud daubers are solitary parasitoid wasps that build nests out of mud. These sphecid wasps collect mud balls at puddle and pool edges for constructing nests. Frequently, nests are built inside weather, or environmental element, sheltered locations; frequently shaded areas on and within both naturally-occurring, as well as man-made structures. Examples offered but only representing a small list, include locales such as under and inside types of bridges, barns, opening and enclosing-garages, open-air porches, or under housing eaves. These nests comprise up to 25 vertically arranged, individual cylindrical cells. After initial creation and coverage of the clutch, this sphecid wasp uses more mud as a means covering and protecting the whole cluster of cells, thereby forming a smooth-like appearance, and uniform nest. The entire nest may attain an area equal to, or larger than, the size of an average human fist.
Black and yellow mud dauber
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One disadvantage to making nests is that most, if not all, of the nest-maker’s offspring are concentrated in one place, making them highly vulnerable to predation. Once a predator finds a nest, it can plunder it cell by cell. A variety of parasitic wasps, ranging from extremely tiny chalcidoid wasps to larger, bright green chrysidid wasps attack mud dauber nests. They pirate provisions and offspring as food for their own offspring.
Mud dauber
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Sceliphron laetum is a wasp in the family Sphecidae, the mud-dauber wasps. Like other members of this genus, it is a solitary species and builds cells out of mud in which to rear its young, provisioning them with paralysed spiders, and laying an egg in each. This wasp is native to Australia and southeastern Asia.
Sceliphron laetum
2220573#0
The organ pipe mud dauber ("Trypoxylon politum") is a predatory wasp in the family Crabronidae. They are fairly large wasps, ranging from 3.9–5.1 mm, and have been recorded to fly from May to September. Female and male are similar in colour, a shiny black with pale yellow to white hind hindtarsomere. The organ pipe mud dauber feeds mainly on three genera of spider: Neoscona, Araneus, and Eustala. Melittobia, a parasitoid wasp, is a common ectoparasite of "T. politum" prepupae. Other sources of parasitism include the Bombyliid fly Anthrax, Chrysidid wasps, and various species of scavenger flies (Miltogramminae). The tufted titmouse ("Parus bicolor") is a known predator of "T. politum", and may feed on them more commonly than previously thought as the holes made by the titmouse are similar in shape and size to those made by T. politum leaving the nest after pupation.
Organ pipe mud dauber
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Sceliphron is a genus of Hymenoptera of the Sphecidae family of wasps, commonly referred to as mud daubers. They are solitary and build nests made of mud. Nests are frequently constructed in shaded niches, often just inside of windows or vent openings, and it may take a female only a day to construct a cell requiring dozens of trips carrying mud. Females will add new cells one by one to the nest after each cell is provisioned. They provision these nests with spiders, such as crab spiders, orb-weaver spiders and jumping spiders in particular, as food for the developing larvae. Each mud cell contains one egg and is provided with several prey items. Females of some species lay a modest average of 15 eggs over their whole lifespan . Various parasites attack these nests, including several species of cuckoo wasps, primarily by sneaking into the nest while the resident mud dauber is out foraging.
Sceliphron