What type of bee is a mud dauber?

A mud dauber is classified as a solitary bee. This classification stems from its behavior and nesting habits. Unlike social bees, such as honeybees and bumblebees, which live in colonies and share responsibilities within a hive, solitary bees like mud daubers operate independently. Each female mud dauber constructs her own nest, which typically consists of tubular mud structures, where she provisions the nest with food for her offspring and lays eggs.

The solitary nature of mud daubers also means that they do not exhibit communal behaviors that are characteristic of social bees. They do not have a queen or worker division among them, rather each female is self-sufficient, gathering resources and building nests on her own. This distinctive characteristic emphasizes their role as solitary bees, making them an essential part of the ecosystem by contributing to pollination while operating independently of large social structures.