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The eastern velvet ant is the largest of the velvet ant species in the eastern United States, attaining an approximate length of 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Adults display aposematic coloration , consisting of black overall coloring with an orange-red pattern on the dorsal surface of the thorax and abdomen.
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.
Dasymutilla thetis, also known as the minute thistledown velvet ant, is a species of velvet ant known only from Arizona in North America. [1] It was first described by Charles A. Blake as Sphaerophthalma thetis in 1886. [2] Individuals are about 7 mm long. [1] Females are "clothed entirely with ivory-white setae." [3]: 405
Some caterpillars even bite the female wasps that approach them. Some insects secrete poisonous compounds that kill or drive away the parasitoid. Ants that are in a symbiotic relationship with caterpillars, aphids or scale insects may protect them from attack by wasps. [18] [19] Parasitoid wasps are vulnerable to hyperparasitoid wasps.
Their range information seems to be somewhat misleading. I live in Middle Tennessee and we certainly do not have sandy soil. As a matter of fact, red clay is the predominant soil type. I just got off the phone with my county extension office and he says they are indeed native here (at least the species I found, the eastern red velvet ant).
Dasymutilla sackenii, also known as Sacken's velvet ant, is a species of velvet ant, actually a type of wasp. [1] It is found in Oregon, California, Nevada, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] : 399 As with most velvet ants, the males have wings and the females are wingless.
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"An ant ( *Camponotus compressus* ) traverses the edge of a wall during a serene sunset in Southern India. These species, native to tropical regions, are known for their strength and social structures, playing a vital role in the ecosystem by aerating soil and aiding in decomposition."