African Mud Dauber vs Ashy Mining Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Mud Dauber Ashy Mining Bee
Scientific Name Sceliphron spirifex Andrena cineraria
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Sphecidae Andrenidae
Size 20-28 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Throughout Africa Western Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Mud Dauber

A slender black and yellow wasp with an extremely narrow petiole waist. It constructs mud nests on walls and ceilings, provisioning them with paralyzed spiders.

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Did You Know?

A single mud nest cell may contain up to 25 paralyzed spiders stacked together as food for one developing larva.

Ashy Mining Bee

A striking black and grey solitary bee with silvery-white hair bands on its thorax. It nests in compacted soil and is one of the first bees to appear in spring.

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Did You Know?

Large aggregations of hundreds of nest holes can appear suddenly on garden lawns in April.