Brown Sand-dauber Wasp - Pison sp.

Family Crabronidae

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


Body length 12mm



We sometimes saw this medium size black wasp collection mud on sandy soil. One distinct characteristic of this wasp is its emarginated eyes, which is also the characteristic of wasps in tribe Trypoxylonini.


Nest size 30x40mm

We found this small mud nest (above photo) under a shrub in late summer 2006. There was one small hole on the nest. We brought it home to see what would come out. Few days later we found four small brown wasps came out. However, there were only three more holes on the nest. Opened the empty cells we found some spider body remains.



This wasp collects the sandy mud to build the hanging mud nest on low stems of plant. After we learnt where to expect those nests, they are not hard to be found.







Wasps in tribe Trypoxylonini have the emarginated eyes.

Reference:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 991.
2. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
3. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p300.