Editorial photo #13985730 Human Interest

Oriental Mud-dauber Wasp Is Making A Nest In An Electrical Socket Hole

The Oriental mud-dauber wasp (Chalybion bengalense) is recognizable by its metallic blue body and brownish wings. These wasps are solitary and generally not aggressive towards humans, making stings very uncommon. They hunt spiders to feed their larvae and often reuse abandoned nests. Found across Asia and Africa, they have also spread to parts of Europe. The female uses small cavities such as exposed electrical sockets, switchboards, screw holes, and wall outlets as natural crevices to build her nest, where she places paralyzed spiders, lays an egg, and seals it with a mud plug to protect the larvae and food supply. An Oriental mud-dauber wasp is building a nest inside an electric socket hole and sealing it up at Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)