Courious about wasp behavior. - Chalybion californicum - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Thread-waisted Wasps (Sphecidae) » Sceliphrinae » Mud-dauber Wasps (Sceliphrini) » Blue Mud-dauber Wasps (Chalybion) » Common Blue Mud-dauber Wasp (Chalybion californicum)

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Copyright © 2007 Marvin Smith

Courious about wasp behavior. - Chalybion californicum -

Ozark Mountains, Searcy County, Arkansas, USA
June 16, 2007

I'm curious about the behavior of these wasps. To an untrained observer (yours truly), a group of a dozen or so wasp are gathering on a plant in a hanging basket around dusk and bedding down for the night. Last night it was a begonia; tonight a bougainvillea, although a couple of wasps were on last night's begonia leaf too. I'd appreciate it if anyone could add any information about what's going on here. Thanks. Marvin.

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Contributed by Marvin Smith on 17 June, 2007 - 2:25am
Last updated 15 June, 2008 - 9:31am

Moved

Moved from Thread-waisted Wasps.

… Eric R. Eaton, 28 December, 2007 - 3:29pm

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Yeah...

I think these are Chalybion californicum. I believe the males form sleeping aggregations, making you absolutely correct.

… Nick Fensler, 17 June, 2007 - 12:13pm

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Thank you for the information.

I also did a little Googling and found that communal roosting is not uncommon among insects, though the methods of aggregating vary. The reasons for aggregating probably also vary. (Communal Roosting in Insects)

Although I didn't pay a great deal of attention to the details, I know this species of wasp has roosted in our hanging baskets in past years. Who knows if they are expressing a preference for the location or the plants. And, just to keep the record straight, the plant involved is a lantana, not a bougainvillea.

Marvin

… Marvin Smith, 18 June, 2007 - 3:36am

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I think...

it's reasonably common in apoid wasps...some bees and other "sphecid" wasps do it.

… Nick Fensler, 18 June, 2007 - 6:09pm

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