Organ Pipe Mud-dauber Wasp

Trypoxylon politum

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Crabronidae
Subfamily: Crabroninae
Tribe: Trypoxylini
Genus: Trypoxylon
Species: politum

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Trypoxylon politum: /trɪˈpɒksɪlən pəˈlaɪtəm/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Pipe Organ Mud Dauber with Spider - Trypoxylon politum, Leesylvania State Park, Woodbridge, Virginia by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Organ-pipe Mud-dauber Wasps (Trypoxylon politum) - London, Ontario 2015-07-16 (02) by Ryan Hodnett. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Trypoxylon politum nest by Beatriz Moisset. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Trypoxylon politum nest underside by Beatriz Moisset. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Organ-pipe Mud-dauber Wasps (Trypoxylon politum) - London, Ontario 2015-07-16 (01) by Ryan Hodnett. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Spotted Orbweavers (Neoscona sp.) in an Organ-pipe Mud-dauber Wasp (Trypoxylon politum) Nest - Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey 2023-02-25 by Ryan Hodnett. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Summary

The Organ Pipe Mud-dauber Wasp (Trypoxylon politum) is a predatory wasp known for its characteristic nests resembling organ pipes. It plays a beneficial role in controlling spider populations and exhibits unique behaviors including male parental care.

Physical Characteristics

Fairly large, ranging from 3.9–5.1 cm; shiny black body with the end part of the back leg being pale yellow to white.

Identification Tips

Males emit a loud buzzing sound when their nest is approached or disturbed; nests are distinctively shaped like 'pipe organs.'

Habitat

Uses tree holes or the underside of bridges; prefers smooth, vertical surfaces with shade and protection from rainfall, close to a source of mud and adjacent to forests.

Distribution

Ranges from Southeastern Canada to the Eastern United States (MA-FL to KS-TX).

Diet

Primarily feeds on three genera of spiders: Neoscona, Araneus, and Eustala.

Life Cycle

In southern populations, T. politum has a partially bivoltine life-history, producing multiple generations that can emerge before the end of June and through the winter. In northern populations, they exhibit a univoltine pattern, producing one generation per year.

Reproduction

Males guard nests and may help females in construction; females lay eggs in mud tubes, provisioning with paralyzed spiders.

Predators

Tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor) is a known predator.

Ecosystem Role

Helps control spider populations by feeding on living, paralyzed spiders as larvae.

Health Concerns

Generally non-aggressive unless molested.

Misconceptions

Despite being wasps, they are exceedingly docile and beneficial.