Black and yellow mud dauber

Description:

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 structure 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 comprises 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. A common species of cuckoo wasp, Chrysis angolensis, is frequently a cleptoparasite in Sceliphron nests, and is only one of many different insects that parasitize these mud daubers.

Notes:

For the very first time, I discovered where this solitary wasp spends the night- in a cosy part of the citrus tree just like several other insects. It has been a regular here for a while. The elusive and restless behaviour of this wasp reminds of a similarly coloured citrus swallowtail butterfly (Papilio demodocus). Till date as ubiquitous as it is, the latter's bedspace still remains a mystery.