African Mud Dauber vs Common Pine Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Mud Dauber Common Pine Sawfly
Scientific Name Sceliphron spirifex Diprion pini
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Sphecidae Diprionidae
Size 20-28 mm 7-10 mm (adult)
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Throughout Africa Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Common Pine Sawfly

One of the most important pine defoliators in European forestry. Outbreaks cause growth losses and predispose trees to bark beetle attack.

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Did You Know?

Larvae sequester pine resin and can squirt it at predators when threatened.