Fresh mud can be soft and moldable.

Dry mud can become surprisingly hard.

Over time, repeated wetting and drying can further alter the surface. Fine particles become compacted, individual chambers can fuse together, and the outer surface can weather into a dense, hardened shell.

Aged mud nests can therefore become difficult to break apart by hand.

In some conditions, they can survive for surprisingly long periods.

What originally started as a few pieces of wet soil can eventually resemble a small geological specimen.

---

Why Would Something Like This Be in an Aircraft Cargo Area?

This is probably the part of the story that makes the discovery especially strange.

An aircraft cargo pit is not a place most people would expect to find an insect nest.

But aircraft and airport environments contain many areas that are sheltered, inaccessible, or rarely disturbed.

An insect doesn’t need to understand what an airplane is.