The Pipe Organ Mud Dauber (Trypoxylon politum) gets its name from the rows of tubular nests made of mud that it builds on walls, rocks and other protected structures. It is more common to see the nest than it is to see its user.
While adult Mud Daubers eat nectar and pollen, the female hunts exclusively for spiders (see picture) to feed its young. The female constructs a tubular chamber made of mud. It places within it captured spiders. When the nest is full of food she lays a single egg and seals the chamber. The female then begins constructing another tubular nest.
When the eggs hatch a ready supply of food awaits them. Males stand guard at the nests during its construction and while the female is foraging.
