Subject: What are these clay light shells
Location: Sydney Australia
January 28, 2017 8:07 pm
Found these in the backyard and just wondering what they were shells of..
Signature: Cindy
Dear Cindy,
This is a mud nest constructed by a Wasp, probably a Mud Dauber in the genus Sceliphron based on the image posted to Oz Animals. The Brisbane Insect site has images of a female Mud Dauber constructing her nest as well as this information: “The wasps build mud cells in sheltered locations. If the cell is opened, you will find a wasp larva, together with some spiders which are the larva’s foods. They are collected by the mother wasp.”