mud dauber

American  

noun

1. any of several wasps of the family Sphecidae that build a nest of mud cells and provision it with spiders or insects.

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mud dauber British  

noun

1. any of various wasps of the family Sphecidae, that construct cells of mud or clay in which they lay their eggs and store live insects as food for the developing larvae See also digger wasp

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Etymology

Origin of mud dauber

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

The volume is dedicated to a crippled mud dauber, "Crumple-Wing," of which Shafer was especially fond.

From Time Magazine Archive

All the waste matter from its heavy protein diet is stored in an internal sac until the baby mud dauber has finished its food store.

From Time Magazine Archive

“The mother mud dauber lays an egg or two in ever’ one of them cells.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

The pipe rambled across past the mud dauber wasps’ nest to a hole in the chimney.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

All she knew about the life of the mud dauber, she’d just now learned.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck