Page 177 - Florida Pest Control Examinations

MUD DAUBER MUD DAUBER

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
MUD DAUBER NEST MUD DAUBER

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

1.Antenna- 2 6.Thorax MUD DAUBER
2.Eyes- compound 7.Petiole- long & narrow 5
3.Head 8.Abdomen
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- yellow & black, metallic 7
5.Wings- 2 pair, clear 10.Other- makes mud nest 8

Life Cycle 1
The mud cells are lined with insect larvae or spiders which have been para-
lyzed by the female’s venom and a single egg is laid in each cell. The larvae 2
feed on the paralyzed prey. The larvae mature in three weeks and then spin 6
a cocoon but will not pupate until the following spring, the adults emerging
quickly thereafter.
Drawing by Andrew Schaible

MUD DAUBER Actual size 1”

Mud daubers are wasps varying in size from medium to large, usually around an inch. They are
sometimes called thread-waisted wasps. The most familiar aspect of mud daubers is their nest
which is made of mud or clay and attached against houses, under eaves or bridges, and often
inside garages. Cylindrical cells of mud are built side by side until they make a mass that may
be the size of a softball. The mud nest is smoothly plastered over the entire outer surface.
Mud daubers rarely sting and do not defend their nests.

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