Dasymutilla texanella
Mickel, 1928
Dasymutilla texanella is a velvet ant in the Mutillidae, a group of solitary in which females are wingless and males are winged. Like other Dasymutilla species, females possess a potent sting used for defense and subjugation. The species was described by Mickel in 1928. As with most velvet ants, females are parasitoids of ground-nesting bees and wasps, laying in host nests where larvae consume the host's developing young.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Dasymutilla texanella: //ˌdeɪ.saɪ.mjuːˈtɪ.lə ˌtɛk.səˈnɛl.lə//
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Distribution
Described from Texas; specific range details beyond the type locality are not well documented in available sources.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- 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