Velvet ant
Family of wasps
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Key Takeaways
- Velvet ants ( Mutillidae ) are a family of more than 7,000 species of wasps whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants.
- Their bright colors serve as aposematic signals.
- However, mutillids are not aggressive and sting only in defense.
- Unlike true ants, they are solitary, and lack complex social systems.
Velvet ants (Mutillidae) are a family of more than 7,000 species of wasps whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Their common name velvet ant refers to their resemblance to an ant, and their dense pile of hair, which most often is bright scarlet or orange, but may also be black, white, silver, or gold. Their bright colors serve as aposematic signals. They are known for their extremely painful stings,, and has resulted in the common name "cow killer" or "cow ant" being applied to the species Dasymutilla occidentalis. However, mutillids are not aggressive and sting only in defense. In addition, the actual toxicity of their venom is much lower than that of honey bees or harvester ants. Unlike true ants, they are solitary, and lack complex social systems.
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