Sceliphron deforme is a black mud dauber wasp from Asia with yellow marks on the thorax. Females build jug-shaped mud cells and stock each one with paralyzed spiders, mostly jumping spiders, as food for their young. It has spread to a few parts of Europe but has not been reported from the US.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About ⅝–¾ in (15–20 mm) long. Black, with yellow marks on the thorax and reddish-brown edges on the first two abdominal segments.
Look-alikes
Black-and-yellow mud dauberSceliphron caementarium
The black-and-yellow mud dauber is bigger, about 1 in (24–28 mm), with yellow legs and dark thighs.
Why they get mixed upBoth are black-and-yellow mud daubers that build mud nests in sheltered spots.
Where it lives
- Range
- Native to Asia, from India and Southeast Asia through China to Korea and Japan. Introduced populations are known from European Russia (including Mordovia) and Montenegro. It has not been reported from the US.
Behavior
- Diet
- Females hunt spiders, chiefly jumping spiders, as food for their larvae.
Life cycle
- Nest
- In a study in Vietnam, females often built their mud nests inside houses, mostly on curtains, wall corners, and windows.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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