Mud Daubers???

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:10 pm

Could be but they are really small ones if they are and quite a group of artists or sculpters.

While prowling the lawn this afternoon, I went around back of the house to a small field. There I found this Butterfly Weed of about 8 inches tall. Then I noticed these tiny earthen vessels attached to the stem. Really neat looking little things I thought. Lets take a picture.

Here we are close-up. Pretty neat bit of construction if you ask me. Maybe a small wasp? I don't know. But it sure is good at what it does, what ever it is. Oh yeah, I took these with the G7 with onboard flash too.

salden · Post by **salden** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:11 pm

Nice images from that new camera Ken

. These are interesting little structures.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:20 pm

Thanks Sue, they are sort of neat little things. I may go back and get them later on, if they are still around and keep them in a jar, just in case the owner is home.

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:29 pm

Are you sure these aren't galls of some kind? If they are, the owners have exited. It does look an awful lot like mud, though.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:52 pm

Mike asked"

Are you sure these aren't galls of some kind? If they are, the owners have exited.

Well I don't know if they are galls or not Mike.

They appear to be made from mud and have a spiral structure to them. A wasp was the first thing to come to mind, seeing as how wasps are known to cause galls but wasps also build mud structures too. Dunno

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:58 pm

I hadn't picked up on the spirals till you mentioned it, but you're right. Yeah, I suspect they're mud, not gall!

Gordon C. Snelling · Post by **Gordon C. Snelling** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:44 pm

They are mud nests of a wasp. How tiny is tiny??

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:53 am

Excellent Ken, I have never seen them on a plant before...only on buildings.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:46 am

Gordon asked:

They are mud nests of a wasp. How tiny is tiny??

Well Butterfly Weed is not exactly a large plant, about 12 to 18 inches at the most. The vessels themselves, I would imagine, are about 18mm, the size of a US dime, maybe a little less. Thanks Gordon and Doug!

Doug, I usaully see the longer mud structures on old buildings, large boulders and such made by the larger wasps but never ones like these. These are a first for me. Thanks again Doug.

crotermund · Post by **crotermund** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:00 am

Ken - I could be mistaken, but I believe these are the homes of the Potter Wasp.

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:23 am

You sure have been posting some great images recently Ken. These are really interesting pics - well spotted.

Bruce

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:02 pm

Thanks Bruce and Craig

Craig, I followed your ID and you are correct. I have since went back out and collected the tiny vessels and have brought them inside in a glass jar for safe keeping. One of them is still sealed, so I am assuming the wasp larvae is still inside, though I am not going to open it.

Thanks again guys!

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:54 pm

Ken, are these larvae smooth, or fuzzy wasp larvae? The reason I ask is because it is conceivable that you have the rare Hairy Potter!

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:09 pm

facinating structures, nice find.

Gordon C. Snelling · Post by **Gordon C. Snelling** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:08 pm

The size indeed does point to Eumenes, really neat wasp. Good luck on the hatch out attempt. Keep us posted.