yellow-legged mud-dauber

Sceliphron caementarium

Uploaded on May 27, 2009

We are watching a mother gather materials for her nest. The mud dauber builds a nest which is placed in a sheltered area. After building her nest and laying her eggs the female dies. Next spring the larva dig their way out of their mud ball called home.

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Uploaded on Aug 7, 2007

1/4 speed mudball making

Published on May 20, 2013

Black and Yellow Mud Dauber - Often seen collcting mud by wet puddle and moist streambanks. Seen here on a tributary of Stoney Creek, Burnaby, BC

Uploaded on Sep 6, 2008

Black and yellow mud dauber is a common name for the sphecid wasp species Sceliphron caementarium. They are solitary insects that build nests out of mud in sheltered locations, frequently on man-made structures such as bridges, barns, open porches or under the eaves of houses. These nests are not aggressively defended, and stings are rare.

The black and yellow mud dauber's nest is comprised of a series of cylindrical cells that are plastered over to form a smooth nest that may attain nearly the size of a human fist. After building a cell, the female wasp captures several spiders. The captured prey are stung and paralyzed before being placed in the nest, and then a single egg is deposited on the prey within each cell. The wasp then seals the cell with mud. After finishing a series of cells, she leaves and does not return. Eventually, the hatching larva will eat the prey and emerge from the nest.