Talk:Sceliphron caementarium

Untitled
In case anyone wonders, this is a slightly modified version of my Everything2 writeup under the same name. - wonko 00:42, 22 Aug 2003 (UTC)

Hostility?
As far as I know, most species of wasps (in the wide sense, meaning roughly all Hymenoptera except bees and ants) aren't hostile at all. Aggressive behaviour is mainly found in social species, which make up a minority of all wasps. The reason for this could be that it pays to aggressively defend the nests (which contain the brood), while the loss of a worker is negligible - it may even  acually help her spread her genes. By contrast, females of solitary species have much more to lose if they attack and accordingly most of these won't sting unless directly molested. Tjunier 12:50, 2004 Apr 19 (UTC)
 * You're right. Corrected, feel free to change the wording if it doesn't fit.

Another photo
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Sceliphron_and_pest.jpg --Snek01 21:28, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Redirect from Sceliphron
Sceliphron redirects here. I don't think this is a a good idea, since there are several species within the genus (although no other species yet has an article). Does anyone mind if I undo this redirect? I am planning to start an article for Sceliphron curvatum, and it makes no sense for the genus to redirect to this particular species. Thanks, --Iron C hris |  (talk) 00:00, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I removed the redirect since no one seems to object. Iron C hris |  (talk) 02:43, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Stingers
Do these critters sting?

I've never been stung by one, and I've always been told they don't sting. Don't think I'll be messing with them to find out, though.

Look at the huge stinger on it, yes they do sting, it really hurts. However these wasps aren't very agressive and will usually only sting if you step on em. Yes they sting just dont mess with them or the sting will be very vicious

Where do you get mud daubers
I've just heard from an ex-pat in spain that she saw one of these and was very scared. We don't get mud daubers in the uk I don't think, only 'normal' wasps. So, what areas of the world do the mud daubers live in?Merkinsmum 00:50, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

I don't know the whole range of where mud daubers are found, but I know at least the organ and blue mud dauber can be found in Ohio, USA. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)


 * I've added a paragraph on distribution. Basically, S. caementarium was originally widespread in Central and North America, but has been introduced all over the place, including the "western Mediterranean" which could easily include Spain. There are, however, other, native, species of Sceliphron in Spain, such as Sceliphron destillatorium, which she might have seen instead. --Stemonitis 08:04, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

They can be found in Minnesota. I live in a 3rd floor apartment and they are showing up everyday and hovering around my flowering plant. They are huge! I've killed four of them so far, but everyday another one returns. I wish I knew where they were coming from.They can also be found very likely in Illinois do to even tempurature.

a friend of mine knocked down one of their nests in utah, full of spiders, creepy —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.23.183.196 (talk) 06:03, 13 July 2010 (UTC)

I apparently have a whole lot of them nesting in the ground on a little grassless area of my garden in Central Texas. Definitely not aggressive. I've stepped right in the middle of their area, and they all came out and flew up around me, but not one sting. 99.58.56.97 (talk) 19:17, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

Genus?
The Texas Coop Extension Service website gives the genus of the B&Y Mud Dauber as Chalybion, not Sceliphron. I'm not an entomologist myself, but someone who is might want to check this out.

Tex 18:12, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

Returning to the nest
The article states, "After finishing a series of cells, she leaves and does not return." Is there a citation for this? I ask this because it contradicts personal observation on my part. I have several industrious mud daubers in my yard, including a couple who build nests in my garage. I'm planning to do some filming of the construction process, so I've sort of been keeping an eye out for them. Anyway, I heard the noise of a mud dauber doing the construction, and I thus located the nest. It was on its finishing touches. After completing the cells, the entire thing was coated with a layer of mud.

Some time later I noticed the mother inspecting not just this nest but a couple of the other nests in the garage. She wasn't doing any construction -- just inspecting. I thought I saw her assisting in opening one up, but I need to confirm that with future observations. In any case, the young all hatched shortly after she revisted the nests.

Now they all congregate around a Rose of Sharon plant I have each evening. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Victor Engel (talk • contribs) 20:12, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Can you upload a photo of a typical nest? The article would be greatly improved by that! Huw Powell (talk) 00:59, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Question re. photo of nest contents
I might be quite wrong here, but I wanted to draw the attention of people who know much more than I about this species of wasp to something I find puzzling. The current photo, apparently from an Italian source, of the contents of a dauber's nest features a variety of spiders, some rather big. Does this look...suspicious? Daubers, unless I'm mistaken, are not particularly large, and I was under the impression that most didn't hunt any spider bigger than a black widow or a brown recluse. There seems to be a tarantula, or perhaps some sort of wolf spider, among the collection in this photo. It just looks like a bunch of rather large spiders.

Again, I might be off, but I thought I'd flag this in case there's any chance it's a fake.

216.110.242.175 (talk) 21:12, 6 November 2018 (UTC)