Mutillidae

Definition

A family of solitary wasps in the order Hymenoptera, commonly known as velvet ants, comprising more than 7,000 described species. Females are wingless, densely hairy, and ant-like in appearance, often exhibiting bright aposematic coloration (scarlet, orange, black, or metallic). Males possess wings and are typically less conspicuously colored. Despite their common name, mutillids are not true ants (Formicidae); they lack eusocial organization and are parasitoids of other Hymenoptera, particularly ground-nesting bees and wasps. The family is characterized by an exceptionally painful defensive sting, though venom toxicity is relatively low.

Etymology

From Mutilla, the type genus (Latin mutilla, a kind of ant), + -idae (family suffix)

Example

Dasymutilla occidentalis, the 'cow killer' or 'cow ant,' is a large, red-and-black mutillid whose wingless female is frequently encountered walking on bare ground in eastern North America while searching for the burrows of its host, the cicada killer wasp Sphecius speciosus.

Synonyms

• Velvet ants

Related Terms

• Apocrita
• Hymenoptera
• Pompiloidea
• Formicidae
• aposematism
• Parasitoid
• myrmecophily
• wing polymorphism
• sting

Usage Notes

The common name 'velvet ant' reflects female morphology and should not imply kinship with Formicidae; specialists reserve 'mutillid' for technical contexts. Sexual dimorphism is extreme: males and females of the same species were often described separately before their association was recognized. The family's placement within Pompiloidea (rather than as sister to Formicidae) is well-supported phylogenetically.