Ground-nesting-host
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Dasymutilla
velvet ants, cow killers
Dasymutilla is a genus of solitary wasps in the family Mutillidae, commonly known as velvet ants. The genus contains the majority of North American velvet ant species. Females are wingless, densely hairy, and often brightly colored in aposematic patterns of red, orange, or white against black. Males possess wings and may differ substantially in coloration from females, leading to historical taxonomic confusion. The genus is notable for females' potent stings, among the most painful of any insect, and for forming one of the world's largest known Müllerian mimicry complexes.
Dasymutilla arenivaga
Desert Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla arenivaga is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, first described by Mickel in 1928. Like all mutillids, it is a solitary wasp with wingless females and winged males, exhibiting the pronounced sexual dimorphism characteristic of this group. The species inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Dasymutilla occidentalis
Common Eastern Velvet Ant, Red Velvet Ant, Cow Killer, Cow Ant, Eastern Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis is a large, solitary parasitoid wasp in the family Mutillidae, commonly known as the eastern velvet ant or cow killer. Females are wingless, densely covered in velvety red and black hairs, and possess an extremely painful sting. Males are winged and less conspicuously colored. The species is an external parasitoid of ground-nesting bees and wasps, with females actively searching for host nests to lay eggs on or near developing larvae. Despite its common name, it is not an ant but a true wasp, and its sting, while intensely painful, cannot actually kill a cow.
Mutillidae
Velvet Ants, Hairy Ants, Panda Ants
Mutillidae, commonly known as velvet ants, are a family of solitary wasps comprising over 3,000 described species. Despite their common name, they are not ants but wingless female wasps that resemble large, hairy ants. The family exhibits striking sexual dimorphism: females are apterous (wingless), brightly colored, and possess a powerful sting, while males are winged and generally darker in coloration. Velvet ants are parasitoids of ground-nesting bees and wasps, with females actively searching for host nests to lay eggs on or near the host pupae or larvae. They form one of the world's largest known Müllerian mimicry complexes, with numerous species sharing aposematic red, orange, or yellow and black coloration to warn predators of their potent defensive capabilities.
Neopasites cressoni
Neopasites cressoni is a kleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bee in the family Apidae, tribe Biastini. It is native to North America and targets hosts in the genus Hesperapis, a group of ground-nesting bees. Like other members of the Nomadinae subfamily, females lack pollen-collecting structures and rely entirely on host nests for reproduction. The species was described by Crawford in 1916.