Organ Pipe Mud Dauber vs Aphidius Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Organ Pipe Mud Dauber Aphidius Wasp
Scientific Name Trypoxylon politum Aphidius colemani
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Crabronidae Braconidae
Size 15-20 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Predators Parasitoids
Regions North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Organ Pipe Mud Dauber

A slender black wasp that builds distinctive parallel tubes of mud resembling organ pipes under eaves and overhangs. Males guard the nest while females hunt.

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Did You Know?

Males are unusually dedicated fathers for wasps, standing guard at the nest entrance against parasites while the female hunts.

Aphidius Wasp

A minute parasitoid wasp widely used in greenhouses to control aphid pests. A single female can parasitize over 300 aphids in her lifetime.

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Did You Know?

Parasitized aphids turn into hardened golden-brown shells called 'mummies' from which new wasps emerge.