mason wasp

American  

noun

1. any of several solitary wasps, as Rygchium dorsale, that construct nests of mud or clay.

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mason wasp British  

noun

1. a solitary wasp of the genus Odynerus that excavates its nest in sand or the mortar of old walls

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Etymology

Origin of mason wasp

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

To test whether these males’ pseudostingers might deter attackers, the researchers enclosed male mason wasps with one of their predators, a tree frog.

From Science Magazine

To test whether these male pseudostingers might deter attackers, the researchers placed male mason wasps inside an enclosure with one of their predators, a tree frog.

From Science Magazine

The mason wasps, or mud-daubers, build their compartment houses generally in places easily accessible to the investigator; therefore the experiments and observations which I am about to detail can be duplicated and verified without difficulty.

From Project Gutenberg

There is a kind of wasp called the mason wasp, which bores holes several inches deep in sand-banks.

From Project Gutenberg