Sceliphron caementarium
| Black and yellow mud dauber | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Sphecidae |
| Genus: | Sceliphron |
| Species: | S. caementarium |
| Binomial name | |
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Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Black and yellow mud dauber is a common name for the sphecid wasp species Sceliphron caementarium.
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 Latin species name caementarius means mason or builder of walls.
S. caementarium is widespread in Canada, the United States, Central America, South Africa and the West Indies, and has been introduced to many Pacific Islands (including Australia, Hawaii and Japan), Peru and Europe, where it has become established in some countries of the western Mediterranean Basin (Austria, Croatia, France, Italy, Cyprus, Ukraine).
This species may be found in cypress domes, in long leaf pines (Pinus palustris) and in turkey oaks.
Sceliphron caementarium can reach a length of 24–28 millimetres (0.94–1.10 in). Petiole is black, about half the length of the entire abdomen. The thorax shows various yellow markings, while the abdomen is normally black, with yellow propodeum (typical of females). The eyes are black, the antennae are black and the legs are yellow, with black trochanters and femurs. The wings are a tawny color.
The black and yellow mud daubers are solitary insects that build nests out of mud.
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Wikipedia