Dasymutilla creon
(Blake, 1872)
Dasymutilla creon is a of velvet ant, a group of solitary in the Mutillidae. Like all mutillids, females are wingless while males possess wings. The species occurs in the south-central and eastern United States, with documented records from Kansas to Texas and eastward to North Carolina. As with other Dasymutilla species, females are capable of delivering a painful sting and exhibit the family's characteristic aposematic coloration.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Dasymutilla creon: //ˌdæsɪˈmjʊtɪlə ˈkriːɒn//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
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Distribution
Kansas south to Texas and eastward to North Carolina, based on specimen records.
More Details
Sexual Dimorphism
As with all mutillids, D. creon exhibits strong : females are wingless, while males possess two pairs of wings.
Taxonomic Note
The specific epithet is sometimes misspelled 'creusa' in informal sources, but the valid name is D. creon (Blake, 1872).
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Insect FAQs | Entomology Research Museum
- Bug Eric: Wasp Wednesday: Dasymutilla bioculata
- The gloriously dichromatic Dasymutilla gloriosa | Beetles In The Bush
- A sting to kill a cow? Red velvet ant, a.k.a. cow killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis — Bug of the Week
- Mutillidae | Beetles In The Bush
- Bees vs wasps: what's the difference? - Buglife Blog - Buglife