Sceliphrini

Sceliphrini is a tribe of sphecid wasps that includes the mud-dauber genus Sceliphron. Its members are solitary wasps, many of which build nests from mud.

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Sphecidae: Sphecidae is a family of solitary wasps whose females provision nests with prey for their larvae. Sceliphrini is classified within this family of solitary, prey-provisioning wasps.
Sceliphron: Sceliphron is a genus of solitary wasps commonly known as mud daubers. This well-known genus is included in Sceliphrini and builds characteristic mud nests.
Chalybion: Chalybion is a genus of metallic-blue sphecid wasps that includes species commonly called blue mud daubers. This Sceliphrini genus often reuses nests built by other mud daubers.
Wasp taxonomy: Wasp taxonomy is the classification of wasps into named groups based on shared traits and evolutionary relationships. Sceliphrini’s boundaries and placement depend on how sphecid relationships are classified.
Apoidea: Apoidea is a superfamily of hymenopterans that includes bees and several families of wasps. The tribe belongs to this larger lineage, which also contains bees.
Mud dauber: A mud dauber is a solitary wasp that constructs nests from mud and provisions them with prey. The common name describes the nesting behavior of many Sceliphrini wasps.
Dynatus: Dynatus is a genus of sphecid wasps in the tribe Sceliphrini. It illustrates the tribe’s diversity beyond the familiar mud-dauber genus Sceliphron.
Phylogenetics: Phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relationships among organisms, populations, or genes. Evolutionary analyses can test whether the tribe’s genera form a single lineage.
Hymenoptera: Hymenoptera is an insect order comprising wasps, bees, ants, and sawflies. This order provides the broader evolutionary and anatomical context for Sceliphrini.
Mud nest: A mud nest is a structure made of damp soil that a wasp provisions as a brood chamber. Mud-built brood chambers are a conspicuous feature of many members of the tribe.