| Most
people are a little scared of wasps because of the painful sting
that many can inflict. The Mud Dauber is certainly one of those
with a potent venom in its sting and it will often catch and
paralyse spiders. Curiously though, adult Mud Daubers feed
mainly on nectar collected from flowers, the spiders are simply
food for their young.
The Mud Dauber wasp builds oval
nests made from mud collected from pools and streams. Inside
the nest the female will lay eggs and then deposit a number of
spiders (alive but paralysed so they stay fresh) for the larvae to
feed on after they hatch. The nest is then sealed so the
eggs and larvae are hidden and protected from potential predators.
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