Blue Mud Dauber?

Owen Dell

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Apr 26, 2020, 10:52:34 PM4/26/20

to Mid-Valley Nature

Taken at FInley last July. Thanks for any i.d.

4BD7355C-460A-4717-A320-9F762E30E57F.jpeg

Lisa Millbank

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Apr 26, 2020, 11:41:11 PM4/26/20

to Owen Dell, Mid-Valley Nature

I'm not sure if that's a Blue Mud Wasp (Chalybion californicum) or a Steel-blue Cricket Hunter (Chlorion aerarium). I don't know if there's a way to tell them apart by a single photo. We have seen a mud wasp at home, which was easy to identify because she was carrying a paralyzed spider. That's the only prey they feed their larvae, while the cricket hunter's prey is pretty easy to guess.

Lisa Millbank

On Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 7:52 PM Owen Dell <ow...@owendell.com> wrote:

Taken at FInley last July. Thanks for any i.d.

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Owen Dell

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Apr 26, 2020, 11:51:18 PM4/26/20

to Lisa Millbank, Mid-Valley Nature

Thanks! There seems to be a consensus building around Chalybion, but not definitive. It would be good to have a side view, but I wasn’t thinking about it when I took the photo. Anyway, quite a handsome critter. I appreciate the info.

Owen

Owen Dell, RLA, ASLA

Landscape Architect - Educator - Author - Photographer

Oregon Registered Landscape Architect No. LA798

Owen Dell and Associates, LLC — owendell.com

Dell’Immagine Fine Art Photography — owendell.smugmug.com

On Apr 26, 2020, at 8:41 PM, Lisa Millbank <millba...@gmail.com> wrote:

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