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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#48554
Blue mud wasp? - Chalybion californicum
Copyright © 2006 Machele White

Blue mud wasp? - Chalybion californicum
Lady Lake, Lake County, Florida, USA
April 13, 2006
I watched as a wasp like this one was flying around landing on spider webs, it came to a web near me, lightly flicked the web with it's feet, the spider ran straight to it, she grabbed it and took off, this is how I came to this ID, info in guide. The females do this, correct?
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Contributed by Machele White on 19 April, 2006 - 5:05am
Last updated 2 March, 2012 - 1:30pm

Wow!
That must have been something to see!
… john and jane balaban, 19 April, 2006 - 10:17am login or register to post comments

 
It was exciting,
and they do it so fast, it was pretty neat.
… Machele White, 19 April, 2006 - 10:38am login or register to post comments

 
Yes, they do:-)
No better character for identifying wasps in the field than to see what prey they are after (or, better yet, carting off to the nest). I remember seeing this behavior once myself, and it did happen very quickly, the spider being totally fooled into dashing out in anticipation of a fresh meal! How the wasp avoids getting stuck in the web is beyond me.
… Eric R. Eaton, 19 April, 2006 - 12:34pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes, so fast
I knew I did not have time to focus the camera, so another question, should I keep this up? I would like to keep the comments, or I could put the other image in this ones place, or just frass this one all together?
… Machele White, 19 April, 2006 - 2:55pm login or register to post comments

 
Good idea -
edit this and place the other image here and then edit your original comment here a little. Delete the other node and we get the best of both!
… john and jane balaban, 19 April, 2006 - 3:52pm login or register to post comments

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