Velvet ants are a family of wasps, Mutillidae, whose densely hairy, brightly colored females are wingless and resemble large ants, while the males are winged and can fly. Found mainly in warm, arid regions worldwide, females possess an unusually long, painful sting used in defense, which in some North American species has earned the common name cow killer, though the sting is not actually lethal to cattle or humans.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceWingless females covered in dense hair, most often bright scarlet or orange, resembling large hairy ants 1 Classification
Living or Extinct Scientific Name Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: Velvet Ant
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Denmark, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Norway, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Sweden, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: United States, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Velvet ant
Introduction
Velvet ants (Mutillidae) are a family of more than 7,000 species of wasps whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants
Introduction [distinguishing-appearance]
their dense pile of hair, which most often is bright scarlet or orange, but may also be black, white, silver, or gold
View the Source2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ252363, descriptionView the Source Wikidata: Velvet Ant
- Wikidata Q252363, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Child Taxon Of: Hymenoptera, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
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