CLOSED: Who's been eating my Brug?

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PotEmUp Fremont, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 24, 2004

There are large droppings, as if a caterpillar has been at work, but I see none. I did see this mud thing (nest?) It is a little more than 1/4" across and a little deeper, with a very small opening into it. Any ideas what is living in here?

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judyb Phoenix, AZ(Zone 9a) Jul 24, 2004

It looks like a wasp nest. Maybe the wasp got the caterpillar that was eating your brugs?

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PotEmUp Fremont, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 24, 2004

Thanks, that is sort of what I thought. This encouraged me to do more searching and I think I found that it is from a Potter Wasp http://www.naturalsciences.org/funstuff/notebook/inverts/potter_wasp.html
This also explains why I didn't find the caterpillar. I think I like this wasp.

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Jul 26, 2004

We have them here like that. I have seen one actually build a 'pot nest' like that. Very interesting. You may find a little insect or two inside.

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kennedyh Churchill, Victoria, Australia(Zone 10a) Jul 26, 2004

Here is a similar wasp nest, built in Australia, by the Mud-dauber Wasp - Sceliphron formosum. We were doing revegetation work in Morwell National Park and found these wasp nests on a stick supporting a tree-guard in the park. There were 6 or 7 of them, some still closed, so presumably with a wasp larva inside. This one was wide open and the wasp was flown.

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patischell Fort Pierce, FL(Zone 10a) Jul 26, 2004

I had one of the little round thingys on a window pane. The next day there were two, now I have three. I can see into the bottom of one, looking through the glass, and it looks like larva of some kind. I thought they might be Wasps because we have so many that build nests around here.
Pati

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PotEmUp Fremont, CA(Zone 9a) Jul 26, 2004

Kennedyh, that nest is less rounded than what I have. Mine also has an opening much smaller, relatively. Apparently the Delta campaniforme is also found in your neck of the woods. Mine http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_wasps/MudDauber.htm and a relative of yours http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_wasps/Palmdart.htm
Both are very similar looking, but the nests are very distinctive.
Dinu helps to show how universally adaptable these creatures are. They colonized the world, much quicker than we mere humans.
Patischell, I concur with your technical term, but I think it is spelled thingies. ;-}

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patischell Fort Pierce, FL(Zone 10a) Jul 26, 2004

Thanks POT, I was never any good at spelling all those technical terms.LOL
Pati

P.S. My thingies are sort of lop-sided

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