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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)
Photo#233185
Blue Mud Wasp - Chalybion californicum - female
Copyright © 2008 Ilona L.

Blue Mud Wasp - Chalybion californicum - Female
Cross Plains, Dane County, Wisconsin, USA
October 12, 2008
Size: ~20mm
My backyard bug buffet has attracted this large blue-black wasp. I keep hoping that one time these large wasps will be something other than a Great Black Wasp. This wasp is definitely the "boss" over the other wasps and ants that also show up. It aggressively attacks ants which are constantly trying the grab the legs of any wasp that shows up to sample the grape jelly and cantaloupe whereas the other wasps (Bald-faced Hornets and V. maculifrons mostly) just move away when the ants attack them.

Images of this individual: tag all
Blue Mud Wasp - Chalybion californicum - female Blue Mud Wasp - Chalybion californicum - female Blue Mud Wasp - Chalybion californicum - female
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Contributed by Ilona L. on 13 October, 2008 - 1:17am
Last updated 16 August, 2015 - 1:48pm

Female!
:)
… Bob Biagi, 16 August, 2015 - 12:51am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Thanks for the update. I've checked the appropriate box.
… Ilona L., 16 August, 2015 - 1:49pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Thread-waisted Wasps.
… Ilona L., 13 October, 2008 - 4:14pm login or register to post comments

Blue mud dauber.
Nice images of a blue mud dauber, Chalybion californicum.
… Eric R. Eaton, 13 October, 2008 - 3:18pm login or register to post comments

 
Blue Mud Dauber
Yay!!! Finally found one of these wasps.
… Ilona L., 13 October, 2008 - 4:15pm login or register to post comments

 
Blue Mud Dauber colonies??
I live in Sheboygan,WI and recently found two seperate, what I assume are nests in the sofit of our house in two seperate places. Night time there were 8 by one entrance, and 4 by the other. We did spray wasp killer, but we would like to know a lil more about these since we have young toddlers around, and we were under the impression wasps are solitary.
… jturkey69, 7 July, 2009 - 9:27pm login or register to post comments

 
Mud Daubers
Oh, I would never spray these wasps! Read more about them at: Mud Daubers.
… Ilona L., 7 July, 2009 - 10:19pm login or register to post comments

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