Blue Mud Dauber

In the early summer I noticed a huge blue-black thread waisted wasp hanging around the entrance to the building I live in. Not being an entymologist I had to do a little googling to find online what I was seeing. The closest I can come to identifying the bug was a blue mud dauber. I watched it almost everyday as remodelling was done to the mud on the door frame of the building. At first there were three holes, the next day only two, and on the third there was one. Where the mud condo was attached, I couldn't see onto the top of it. That's where mama wasp spent her time, perched. I figured she had put holes in the top to lay her eggs and the kiddies' meals. Once the weather turned cold I figured it was safe to take down to do a little inspection.

Hmmmm.....no holes! At all....everything was sealed up tight. Time to start deconsrtucting the mud condo.
Hmmmm.....again. There appears to be something in here....larva, perhaps. So I deconstuct some more....
and more...
and more...
until I can finally detect three larva. That's where I stopped and put everything into a jar. I'll take it to the museum on Tuesday to see about keeping it in the fridge until the spring. With a little luck that'll keep 'em .

More to follow.

This may not be the animal I think it is. The references to the blue mud dauber I came across indicated solitary larval cells were the norm and this one had three. Some more research is indicated.

Mud daubers

The A and W ruler I've had for about 38 years. Must have got it free with some sort of meal as a kid. Let's all go to A and W.....

S.