11/22/2023 0 Comments Black and red antsIn many cases they have the even fancier distinction of "reverse sexual dimorphism" which sounds like a bunch kinky wasps, but it just means that males are bigger than females, and they look different from each other.įor a long time male and female velvet ants were not classified in the correct groups because they look so different. Scientists like big terms for everything, so to say that males and females are different it's called "sexual dimorphism" (males look different than females). Smith) Female Velvet Ants Are Flightless and Look Different Than Males Male red velvet ant on left, female on right (Photo: Flicker Sharing, C. The most common one around our area (Eastern US) is the species called Dasymutilla occidentalis occidentalis (pictured below). Regardless, the name has stuck so I'm going to call them red velvet ants for the purposes of this article (replace ant with wasp in your best scientists voice inside your head when you see it). The order Hymenoptera includes bees, ants, and wasps. Yes, they look like ants, because they are closely related. Red velvet ants belong to the family Mutilidae (not reassuring when any family name includes "mutilate" in the name), order Hymenoptera, which is a group of about 435 species of wasps. Velvet Ant (Dasylabris maura) (Photo: Wiki Commons) Velvet Ants Aren't Ants (But They're Related) This fuzzy visitor is quite common in the Eastern US so it was an easy ID, but I thought it worth doing a post to introduce you to some quick facts about red velvet ants, also called cow killers, and their relatives. Most species of velvet ants are found in the southern and western parts of North America, and there are o ver 50 species in Florida alone, This week was no different, one of the researchers where I work messaged me asking about a big red fuzzy ant that has a black stripe on it. Working outside, and in Education, I often get queries and questions about things people find in their yards or sidewalks. Red Velvet Ants or Cow Killer Ants Velvet Ant (Photo: Mary Kiern Flicker Sharing) It's Really a Wasp
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