Welcome to Catnapin's

Insect Gallery

Dauber Wasp

order Hymenoptera

Mud Dauber or Dirt Dauber

The three kinds of Daubers are usually not aggressive towards people and often coexist in the same areas.  They drink flower nectar.  They build nests out of mud and stock them with spiders as food for the larvae.  Tubes consist of multiple cells each with one spider and one egg.

One of the several creatures they prey upon the Mud Daubers is the beautiful Cuckoo Wasp, which steals the spiders and larvae to feed its own young.

photos coming soon

Sphecidae - family

Sphecinae - subfamily

Black & Yellow Mud Dauber Sceliphron caementarium

Black body with yellow rings.

Build cylindrical nests in crevices and corners.  Multiple nests are often plastered over to form a lump.

Prey are often colorful - crab spiders, orb weavers, and jumping spiders.

Photo taken in ?

(Native of Texas)

Black & Yellow Mud Dauber constructions

photos coming soon

Sphecidae - family

Sphecinae - subfamily

Blue Mud Dauber Sceliphron caementarium

Iridescent body.

 These wasps do not build a nest.  They carry water to recondition abandoned nests of other Daubers.

Prey are young black (or brown) widow spiders.

Photo taken in ?

(Native of Texas)

photos coming soon

Crabronidae - family

Sphecinae - subfamily

Organ-pipe Mud Dauber Trypoxylon politum

Solid black body.

Builds elegant cylindrical tubes on vertical walls.

Prey are mostly orb weavers but like about any kind of spider.

Photo taken in ?

(Native of Texas)