Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Organ pipe mud dauber (nest)

Trypoxylon politum

Description:

The organ pipe mud dauber is a type of wasp in the family Crabronidae. They are fairly large wasps, shiny black with pale hind tarsi. Male organ pipe mud daubers are among the few male wasps of any species to stay at the nest. A male "stands guard" (to prevent theft of prey or nest materials, as well as to ward off parasites) while a female is away collecting spiders, which are stored in the nest to provide a food source for the larvae. They typically build their nests in sheltered locations, and large aggregations may form with dozens to hundreds of nests in a small area.

Notes:

We spotted dozens of these nests underneath a wooden observation deck overlooking Williamsport lake. The first photo is the back view of a nest that had fallen to the ground & shows empty larval cases & the remains of a spider stashed there by the female. Luckily there wasn't anyone else about as I'm sure we must have looked very strange crawling around under the deck!

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

6 Comments

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

Different story & different menu! :)

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 12 years ago

There's a different story in every chamber.

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

I agree! So clever how they pack a bag lunch for their babies!

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

amazingly intelligent creatures!

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

Thanks Leuba!

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 12 years ago

great pics of the nests !

KarenL
Spotted by
KarenL

Tennessee, USA

Spotted on Jan 7, 2012
Submitted on Jan 7, 2012

Related Spottings

Trypoxylon petiolatum  蜂 Organ pipe mud dauber organ pipe mud dauber Organ pipe mud dauber

Nearby Spottings

Black vulture Killdeer Canada goose Green heron
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team