Valentine Ant vs Organ Pipe Mud Dauber

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Valentine Ant Organ Pipe Mud Dauber
Scientific Name Crematogaster cerasi Trypoxylon politum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Crabronidae
Size 2.5-4 mm 15-20 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Gall Makers Predators
Regions Eastern North America North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Valentine Ant

A North American acrobat ant common in deciduous forests and suburban yards. They typically nest in dead branches and old insect galleries in trees.

💡

Did You Know?

Their heart-shaped abdomen gives them the charming nickname valentine ant.

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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