Bug of Month(May): Mud Dauber Wasps

Mud Dauber Wasps Explained by an Entomology Nerd- Grim Gambini.

The other day, I actually bumped into one of these on my patio. Curiosity got the best of me and I plugged a picture of it into google images. It brought me to reading about the fascinating nature of these solitary wasps.

I knew it was a wasp, but it looked different than other ones I usually see in my area. Mainly because of the abnormal shape of its abdomen, we'll get to that. Wasps, like many other insects have three body sections: a head, thorax, and an abdomen. Depending on how a bug functions in society, their body parts can vary. Some have different shaped legs because they need them to jump or dig and some have different shaped mouths to eat or kill prey. Same with coloring, coloring can help with mating or camouflage from predators. Mud Daubers can be yellow/black, blue, or black. What was different for me was the mud daubers slinky waist as opposed to the robust abdomen from a common wasp for example (below). The mud dauber wasp has a super thin waist and a large stinger connected to their abdomen. Funny enough, they rarely sting people and aren't aggressive unless directly threatened.

Common Wasp

Mud Dauber

Their unique shape is beneficial towards constructing nests made from mud. Female mud daubers collect the mud and mix it with their saliva to make a sticky durable paste. The paste hardens protecting babies inside. They then pupate inside their nests and emerge as independent adults. They are known to build near housing structures like garages, sheds, or patios. Mud Daubers are solitary creatures and become independent after they pupate. Females feast on spiders by paralyzing them with their stings and these are commonly left dead for their babies to eat. Other adult mud daubers eat fruit or plant nectars. They are not known for living in colonies, but seeing a few together is normal.

They make look scary but they are generally harmless to humans and are very beneficial at controlling pests, like spiders and other fast-populating insects while creating nests that don't damage the property around them.

Very mindful for a wasp.

You never know the seasonal bugs that arrive unless you look around in your own backyard. Thanks for reading!