| Chalybion bengalense | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Sphecidae |
| Genus: | Chalybion |
| Species: | C. bengalense |
| Binomial name | |
| Chalybion bengalense Dahlbom, 1845 | |
Chalybion bengalense, also known as the oriental mud dauber, is a widely distributed member of the Chalybion genus. Melittobia assemi has been reported as a parasite of this species. [1]
Chalybion bengalense are metallic blue with semi-transparent brownish wings and small white hairs. [2] [3] Females range from 13–17 mm (0.51–0.67 in) in length, while males range from 8.5–15 mm (0.33–0.59 in). [4]
This species is native to the indomalayan realm as well as Australia and New Guinea. [2] It has been introduced in all biogeographic realms except the Neotropical realm. [5]
Rather than building new nests they use preexisting holes such as man-made holes or old nests made by Sceliphron and various eumenids. Females paralyze spiders and place them into cells, with between 8 and 60 spiders per cell. She then lays an egg on one of the spiders before sealing off the cell with mud. This process is repeated with multiples cells before the entire nest is sealed off with an extra layer made of lime, mud, cow dung, resinous material, or rotting plant matter. [6]
Sceliphron caementarium, also known as the yellow-legged mud-dauber wasp, black-and-yellow mud dauber, or black-waisted mud-dauber, is a species of sphecid wasp. There are some 30 other species of Sceliphron that occur throughout the world, though in appearance and habits they are quite similar to S. caementarium.
The Sphecidae are a cosmopolitan family of wasps of the suborder Apocrita that includes sand wasps, mud daubers, and other thread-waisted wasps.
Mud dauber is a name commonly applied to a number of wasps from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae which build their nests from mud; this excludes members of the family Vespidae, which are instead referred to as "potter wasps". Mud daubers are variable in appearance. Most are long, slender wasps about 1 inch (25 mm) 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.
Sceliphron, also known as black mud daubers or black mud-dauber wasps, is a genus of Hymenoptera of the Sphecidae family of wasps. They are solitary mud daubers 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.
The organ pipe mud dauber is a predatory wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is fairly large, ranging from 3.9–5.1 cm, and has been recorded to fly from May to September. Females and males are similar in colour, a shiny black, with the end part of the back leg being pale yellow to white. 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 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.
Potter wasps, the Eumeninae, are a cosmopolitan wasp group presently considered a subfamily of Vespidae, but sometimes recognized in the past as a separate family, Eumenidae.
Chalybion californicum, the common blue mud dauber of North America, is a metallic blue species of mud dauber wasp first described by Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure in 1867. It is not normally aggressive towards humans. It is similar in shape and colour to the steel-blue cricket hunter. Like other types of wasps, males do not have an ovipositor, and therefore cannot sting. It is ranged from northern Mexico to southern Canada, including most of the United States. It has also been introduced to regions including Hawaii, Bermuda, Croatia and other European countries.
Chalybion is a genus of blue mud dauber wasps in the family Sphecidae. Chalybion species nest in a wide range of natural and artificial cavities such as holes in wood, walls, plant stems, etc., where they typically provision their brood cells with paralyzed spiders. They also reuse old nests of other wasps like Trypoxylon and Sceliphron.
Sceliphron curvatum, also known as the Asian mud-dauber wasp, is an insect in the genus Sceliphron of the wasp family Sphecidae. Like all wasps of this genus, it is a solitary species and builds nests out of mud. S. curvatum is native to some regions of Asia and invasive to Europe.
Auplopus carbonarius is a spider wasp of the family Pompilidae. Uniquely among the British group it constructs a nest of barrel-shaped cells in which spiders are stored and the larvae develop. The British common name is sometimes given as the potter spider wasp or the yellow-faced spider wasp.
Priochilus captivum is a species of neotropical spider wasp in the family Pompilidae. It is native to Central and South America. It was first described by the Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804.
Acroricnus seductor is a species of wasp belonging to the family Ichneumonidae.
Trypoxylon is a genus of wasps in the family Crabronidae. All Trypoxylon species that have been studied so far are active hunters of spiders, which they paralyse with a venomous sting, to provide as food to their developing larvae. Depending on the species, they will either construct their own nest from mud or find cavities that already exist. These cavities can range from keyholes to nail holes to previously abandoned nests, and are generally sealed with mud to create cells for their larvae.
Anoplius concinnus is a widespread Eurasian species of spider wasp.
Pison spinolae, commonly known as mason wasp, is a solitary wasp of the family Crabronidae, found throughout New Zealand.
Trypoxylon lactitarse is a species of square-headed wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is found in North, Central, and South America, and said to range from Canada to Argentina. These are fairly common harmless solitary wasps, although as with others of this same genus, the adult males can be observed to guard the nests. This species is well-characterised as nesting in pre-existing cavities which has facilitated ecological studies, as females can be easily attracted to nest in human-made trap-nests. Females construct a linear series of cells that are subdivided by mud partitions. In the south of range, nesting activity has been recorded to occur throughout the year, although may be more common in certain months. They can begin construction of their nests with a layer of mud, followed by the formation of a linear series of 6-8 cells.
Leucauge decorata, the decorative silver orb spider, is one of the long-jawed orb weaver spiders. A medium to large sized orb weaving spider, with a body length up to 12 mm long (female). Male to 6 mm. This species has a "point" to the end of the abdomen.
Rhynchium brunneum is a species of potter wasp found in Asia. Across the wide distribution range, they show considerable variation in the patterning and several subspecies have been described, including:
Sceliphron asiaticum is a species of thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is native to the Neotropics, South America and the Caribbean region.
Sceliphron coromandelicum is a species of solitary mud dauber wasp in the family Sphecidae. The female holotype was collected in Coromandel Coast, India.
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