Barrel-cell Mud-dauber Wasp - Sceliphron caementarium

FAMILY SPHECIDAE

This page contains pictures and information about Barrel-cell Mud-dauber Wasps that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 20mm



We found this barrow-shaped cell wasp nest under the ceiling of a shack near Tingalpa Resovior. We collected them to see what will come out. A few cells were broken and a wasp came out which was almost matured. It slowly walked a short distance on the floor and than flied away.



The wasp was black and yellow in typical wasp colours. The abdomen linked with thorax with a very thinly stalked petioles. The feed the young with spiders.





Another broken cell came was a pupa with a wasp that was not ready to come out yet.



This is an America species accidentally introduced to Australia.



Besides ourselves, there was small unknown wasp also interesting in this nest and examining the cells.

Reference:
1. Wasps of the genus Sceliphron (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) intercepted in New Zealand - A. C. HARRIS Otago Museum, 1992
2. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 990.