Asian mud-dauber wasp
This solitary wasp builds mud nests packed entirely with paralyzed spiders, often choosing bookshelves and furniture indoors as readily as outdoor walls.
| Where | Buildings, gardens and sheltered walls |
|---|---|
| Size | 15 to 25 mm body length |
| When | May to September |
The Asian mud-dauber wasp is slender and mostly black with yellow and red markings on the legs and a long, thread-like waist typical of mud-dauber wasps.
Females build small mud nests on walls, indoors on furniture, or among stored books and clothes, provisioning each cell with spiders paralyzed by their sting for the developing larva.
Traits
Habitat
Towns
Colour
Black, Yellow, Red
Active
Day
To people
Mild
Solitary and not aggressive; it very rarely stings, and the sting is mild, similar to a brief, sharp pinprick.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Very similar mud-nesting habit, but it shows bold yellow markings on a mostly black body rather than the added reddish tones of the Asian mud-dauber wasp.
Questions
Is the Asian mud-dauber wasp dangerous to people?
Mild. Solitary and not aggressive; it very rarely stings, and the sting is mild, similar to a brief, sharp pinprick.
When can you see the Asian mud-dauber wasp?
The Asian mud-dauber wasp can be seen from May to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Gianni Del Bufalo, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Bees, wasps and ants›Thread-waisted wasps›Sceliphron
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.