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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.
Despite their name and looks, velvet ants are actually wasps. Many of these delightfully fuzzy insects exhibit bright, contrasting shades of black with red, orange or white. Their bold bodies serve as a clear warning that you should keep a respectful distance - and for good reason.
- Velvet ants are solitary insects. The female velvet ant lives almost her entire life alone, searching for places to lay her eggs. The winged males are also solitary, seeking out a female only to mate before the two go their separate ways once again.
- Velvet ants have developed strong leg muscles. Despite lacking the ability to take flight in order to escape predators, the female velvet ant more than makes up for it with speed and strength.
- Velvet ants are “nearly impervious’ to predators. There are no insectivores that are known to specifically hunt velvet ants, and their arsenal of protective weapons makes for a challenging attack!
- Velvet ants have an extremely strong exoskeleton. This is another one of their protective measures to prevent attack. It takes around 11 times more strength to crush a velvet ant than it would to squash a honeybee, for example.
Oct 22, 2024 · Velvet ants are any of a group of about 3,000 species of parasitic wasps (order Hymenoptera) that are named for their fuzzy, antlike appearance. Velvet ants are most prevalent in the hot, dry regions of the Western Hemisphere.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Red velvet ants, or cow killer ants, are actually wasps. Female velvet ants are wingless. Read our profile on red velvet ants for more helpful information.
Jun 30, 2019 · Velvet ants are wasps that get their name from the velvety fur on their bodies and are not very aggressive. Females do not have wings and walk along the ground for food, while the males have transparent wings and look more like wasps.
Insects in the family Mutillidae are often referred to as velvet ants because female members of the family lack wings and have coarse setae that cover most of their body, making them resemble hairy ants. To the surprise of most people, mutillids are not ants at all – they are wasps. Figure 1.
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