Blue mud dauber
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blue mud dauber | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Sphecidae |
| Genus: | Chalybion |
| Species: | C. californicum |
| Binomial name | |
| Chalybion californicum (Saussure, 1867) [1] |
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| Synonyms [1] | |
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The blue mud dauber is a metallic blue species of mud dauber wasp that preys primarily on black widow spiders.[2] It does not build a nest, but uses nests abandoned by other mud dauber wasps. Like other mud daubers, it is rarely aggressive. Blue mud dauber wasps are generally considered beneficial, because they help to regulate the population of black widow spiders.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b M. C. Day (1979). "The species of Hymenoptera described by Linnaeus in the genera Sphex, Chrysis, Vespa, Apis and Mutilla". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 12 (1): 45–84. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1979.tb00049.x.
- ^ a b B. M. Drees & J. Jackman (1999). "Mud Daubers". Field Guide to Texas Insects. Texas A&M University. http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg334.html.
