Mud Dauber Wasp vs Shiny Lined Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mud Dauber Wasp Shiny Lined Rove Beetle
Scientific Name Sceliphron caementarium Xantholinus longiventris
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Sphecidae Staphylinidae
Size 24-28 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Nectar Feeders Predators
Regions North America, introduced to Europe and other continents Europe, Western Asia, introduced to North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Mud Dauber Wasp

A slender black and yellow solitary wasp that builds tubular mud nests on walls and structures. It stocks each cell with paralyzed spiders as food for its developing larvae.

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Did You Know?

A single mud nest cell can contain up to 25 paralyzed spiders stacked inside.

Shiny Lined Rove Beetle

A distinctively elongate rove beetle with a shiny black head and pronotum, and reddish-brown elytra. It hunts in narrow spaces and is commonly found in synanthropic habitats.

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Did You Know?

The disproportionately large mandibles of this beetle, relative to its narrow head, allow it to subdue prey in tight spaces where it has a significant advantage.