Mutillidae
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Apopria coveri
Apopria coveri is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary wasps known for their striking aposematic coloration and powerful sting. Females are wingless and resemble large, hairy ants, while males possess wings. The genus Apopria is part of the subfamily Sphaeropthalminae, which is primarily distributed in the New World. Like other mutillids, this species is likely parasitoid, with females seeking out ground-nesting hosts such as solitary bees or wasps to deposit their eggs.
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 asteria
Dasymutilla asteria is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, a group of solitary parasitoid wasps. Like other mutillids, females are wingless while males possess wings. The species was described by Mickel in 1936. Velvet ants in this genus are known for their aposematic coloration and potent sting, particularly in females.
Dasymutilla atricauda
Dasymutilla atricauda is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary parasitoid wasps in which females are wingless and males are winged. The species was described by Mickel in 1936. Like other members of the genus, females possess a potent sting and exhibit aposematic coloration warning predators of their defensive capabilities. The species is part of the large Müllerian mimicry complex formed by North American velvet ants.
Dasymutilla aureola
Pacific velvet ant
Dasymutilla aureola, commonly known as the Pacific velvet ant, is a species of solitary wasp in the family Mutillidae. Despite its common name, it is not an ant but a wingless female wasp. The species is found in the western United States and is characterized by its large, square-shaped head and dense hair coloration in red, yellow, or orange. Like other velvet ants, females possess a potent sting used for defense and subduing hosts.
Dasymutilla calorata
Dasymutilla calorata is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, first described by Mickel in 1928. Like other members of the genus, females are wingless while males possess wings. The species belongs to a large group of solitary parasitoid wasps known for their potent sting and aposematic coloration. Specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Dasymutilla coccineohirta
Dasymutilla coccineohirta is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae) native to western North America. Females are wingless and possess a potent sting, while males are winged. The species exhibits notable variation in female coloration, with setae ranging from red to white. First described by Charles Alfred Blake in 1871 from a California specimen, it was recently synonymized with Dasymutilla clytemnestra. The species can be distinguished from similar taxa by its smaller marginal wing cell and coarser body pilosity.
Dasymutilla fasciventris
Dasymutilla fasciventris is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary parasitoid wasps in which females are wingless and males are winged. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and western Mexico. Like other Dasymutilla species, females possess a powerful sting used for defense and host subjugation, while males are harmless and fly in search of nectar and mates. The species develops as an external parasitoid of ground-nesting bees and wasps.
Dasymutilla foxi
velvet ant
Dasymutilla foxi is a velvet ant species in the family Mutillidae, found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The species exhibits highly variable setal coloration, with body segments ranging from whitish to reddish; eastern populations in Colorado, Kansas, and Texas typically display a black setal patch on the mesosoma. First described by Theodore D. A. Cockerell and named for William J. Fox, this species has been subject to taxonomic revision with Dasymutilla phoenix and Dasymutilla dugesii synonymized under it. Females are wingless and possess a potent sting, while males are winged.
Dasymutilla heliophila
Dasymutilla heliophila is a species of velvet ant, a family of solitary parasitic wasps in which only males possess wings. The species was described by Cockerell in 1900. Like other members of the genus Dasymutilla, females are wingless and possess a powerful sting. The species belongs to a diverse genus known for aposematic coloration and Müllerian mimicry complexes.
Dasymutilla macilenta
Dasymutilla macilenta is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. Like all mutillids, females are wingless and capable of delivering a painful sting, while males possess wings. The species belongs to a large genus of velvet ants distributed primarily in North America, with many species exhibiting bright aposematic coloration warning predators of their defensive capabilities.
Dasymutilla magna
Dasymutilla magna is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, described by Cresson in 1865. Like other members of the genus, females are wingless and possess a powerful sting, while males are winged. The species belongs to a large Müllerian mimicry complex where numerous velvet ant species share bright aposematic coloration warning predators of their defensive capabilities. Specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Dasymutilla magnifica
Magnificent Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla magnifica, commonly called the magnificent velvet ant, is a wingless female wasp in the family Mutillidae found in arid regions of western North America. Like other velvet ants, females possess a potent sting used in defense and for subduing hosts. The species is notoriously difficult to distinguish from the sympatric Dasymutilla klugii based on external appearance alone. Males are winged and likely differ in coloration from females, though specific details for this species are not well documented.
Dasymutilla monticola
Dasymutilla monticola is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary wasps in which only males are winged. The species was described by Cresson in 1865. Like other mutillids, females are wingless and capable of delivering a painful sting. The species epithet 'monticola' suggests a mountain-dwelling habit. The genus Dasymutilla is one of the most species-rich genera in the family, with many species exhibiting bright aposematic coloration.
Dasymutilla myrice
Dasymutilla myrice is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. Like other members of this family, it is a solitary wasp with wingless females and winged males. The species belongs to a genus known for aposematic coloration and potent stings in females. Specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Dasymutilla nigripes
velvet ant
Dasymutilla nigripes is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae) native to North America. Females are wingless and possess a powerful sting, while males are winged. The species has been documented as a likely parasite of beewolf wasp nests. It is widespread across the United States and occurs in Alberta, Canada.
Dasymutilla nogalensis
velvet ant
Dasymutilla nogalensis is a velvet ant species native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The male and female were originally described as separate species in 1928—Dasymutilla atrifulva for males and Dasymutilla nogalensis for females—before being synonymized in 2007 based on their conspecific status. As a member of the family Mutillidae, this species exhibits the characteristic sexual dimorphism of velvet ants: wingless females and winged males.
Dasymutilla satanas
Satan's velvet ant
Dasymutilla satanas, commonly called Satan's velvet ant, is a species of wingless female wasp in the family Mutillidae found in the arid deserts of the Great Basin region of North America. The species name references the harsh desert environment it inhabits. Females are notably large for the genus, comparable in size to Dasymutilla magna and Dasymutilla sackenii. Like other velvet ants, females possess a powerful sting and are solitary parasitoids of ground-nesting insects.
Dasymutilla stevensi
Dasymutilla stevensi is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, native to dryland regions of North America. The species was described by Mickel in 1928 and named for O. A. Stevens, who collected the type specimen in Medora, North Dakota. It occurs from North Dakota south to Guanajuato, Mexico, inhabiting arid and semi-arid environments. Like other velvet ants, females are wingless and capable of delivering a painful sting, while males possess wings and do not sting.
Dasymutilla texanella
Dasymutilla texanella is a velvet ant species in the family Mutillidae, a group of solitary parasitoid wasps in which females are wingless and males are winged. Like other Dasymutilla species, females possess a potent sting used for defense and host subjugation. The species was described by Mickel in 1928. As with most velvet ants, females are parasitoids of ground-nesting bees and wasps, laying eggs in host nests where larvae consume the host's developing young.
Dilophotopsis
Dilophotopsis is a genus of velvet ants (Mutillidae) in the order Hymenoptera. The genus was established by Schuster in 1958. As with other mutillids, members are solitary wasps with wingless females and winged males. One species, D. concolor crassa, has been documented with host associations.
Ephuta
Ephuta is a widespread New World genus of velvet ants (Mutillidae) whose ecology remains poorly understood. The genus contains at least nine described species in Panama alone, with additional undescribed morphospecies. Ephuta species exhibit strong seasonal variation in abundance, peaking during the transition from dry to rainy season. As cleptoparasites, they develop in the nests of spider wasps (Pompilidae), with confirmed host records including Auplopus subaurarius in Brazil.
Ephuta argenticeps
Ephuta argenticeps is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. Velvet ants are solitary wasps, with females being wingless and males winged. The species is known from a small number of observations, limiting detailed ecological understanding.
Ephuta pauxilla
Ephuta pauxilla is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. The genus Ephuta contains small to medium-sized mutillids found primarily in North America. Like all velvet ants, females are wingless and wasp-like in appearance, while males possess wings. The species is poorly documented with minimal published information available.
Ephuta stenognatha
Ephuta stenognatha is a species of velvet ant (Mutillidae), a family of solitary wasps in which females are wingless and often brightly colored. The species is part of a genus distributed primarily in North America. Like other mutillids, females are known for their extremely painful sting, a defensive adaptation. The species is relatively poorly documented in published literature.
Lomachaeta
Lomachaeta is a genus of velvet ants (Mutillidae) established by Mickel in 1936. The genus includes species distributed across western North America, Mexico, Central America, and South America. A 2004 revision described six new species and consolidated several previously described species under L. hicksi. Host data have been recorded for at least some species, indicating parasitoid relationships with other insects.
Lomachaeta cirrhomeris
Lomachaeta cirrhomeris is a species of velvet ant (Mutillidae) described in 2004 from the southwestern United States. It is one of six new species described in a taxonomic revision of the genus Lomachaeta. As with other mutillids, it is likely a solitary wasp with wingless females. Available information is limited to the original taxonomic description.
Lomachaeta hicksi
A species of velvet ant (Mutillidae) in the genus Lomachaeta, originally described by Mickel in 1936. The species was taxonomically consolidated in a 2004 revision, which established six junior synonyms under L. hicksi based on page priority. As a member of Mutillidae, it is a parasitoid wasp. The species is known from the southwestern United States and adjacent regions, with new distributional data reported in the revision.
Myrmilloides
Myrmilloides is a genus of velvet ants (family Mutillidae) established by André in 1902. The genus is currently considered doubtful in GBIF taxonomy, suggesting taxonomic uncertainty or potential synonymy with other genera. As members of Mutillidae, species in this group are solitary wasps with wingless females and winged males. The genus has been recorded in iNaturalist with 143 observations, indicating some level of field recognition despite taxonomic questions.
Myrmosinae
Myrmosinae is a subfamily of velvet ants (Mutillidae) within the order Hymenoptera. The group was historically considered primarily Holarctic in distribution, with limited representation in the Oriental Region. Recent taxonomic work has documented three new species from Thailand and Vietnam, extending the known range southeastward and establishing the first Oriental records for the genus Krombeinella. The subfamily is characterized by morphological features distinguishing it from other Mutillidae, with keys available for Old World genus identification.
Odontophotopsis arcuata
Odontophotopsis arcuata is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, described by Mickel in 1983. Velvet ants (Mutillidae) are a family of solitary wasps in which females are wingless and often possess aposematic coloration and a powerful sting. The genus Odontophotopsis is characterized by distinctive mandibular and dental structures. This species is part of a diverse group of North American mutillids, though specific biological details for O. arcuata remain poorly documented in published literature.
Odontophotopsis inconspicua
Odontophotopsis inconspicua is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary wasps known for their aposematic coloration and powerful sting. The genus Odontophotopsis is characterized by distinctive mandibular and dental structures. Like other mutillids, females are wingless and resemble ants, while males possess wings. This species was described by Blake in 1886. Very little specific biological information has been published for this particular species.
Odontophotopsis microdonta
Odontophotopsis microdonta is a species of velvet ant (Mutillidae) described by Ferguson in 1967. Males are winged and active from mid-spring through mid-autumn. The species is known from California and Nevada in the western United States. As with all Mutillidae, females are wingless and possess a powerful sting.
Odontophotopsis setifera
Odontophotopsis setifera is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, described by Schuster in 1952. Velvet ants are solitary wasps in which females are wingless and often possess aposematic coloration. The genus Odontophotopsis is part of the diverse Mutillidae fauna of North America.
Odontophotopsis unicornis
Odontophotopsis unicornis is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae) described by Schuster in 1958. It belongs to the O. unicornis species-group, which contains two recognized species: O. unicornis and its sister species O. erebus. Molecular and morphological analyses support the validity of both species as distinct taxa. The female of O. unicornis was previously unknown and was first associated with the male using molecular data.
Photomorphus
Photomorphus is a genus of velvet ants (Mutillidae), a group of solitary wasps in which females are wingless and often ant-like in appearance. The genus was established by Viereck in 1903. At least one species, Photomorphus (Photomorphina) archboldi, has been described from central Florida based on male specimens collected in malaise traps. Females of this genus are generally poorly known or undescribed for many species.
Photomorphus banksi
Photomorphus banksi is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of wasps in which females are wingless and often brightly colored. The genus Photomorphus belongs to the diverse Mutillidae family, characterized by dense hair and aposematic coloration. As with other velvet ants, females are solitary and ground-dwelling, while males possess wings. This species is known from a small number of observations, suggesting it may be uncommon or undercollected.
Photomorphus obscurus
Photomorphus obscurus is a species of velvet ant (Mutillidae), a family of wasps in which females are wingless and often brightly colored. The genus Photomorphus belongs to the subfamily Sphaeropthalminae. Velvet ants are solitary parasitoids, with females typically searching for host nests on the ground. This species has been documented through limited observations on iNaturalist. The specific epithet "obscurus" refers to its dark or indistinct coloration.
Protophotopsis
Protophotopsis is a genus of velvet ants (family Mutillidae) described by Schuster in 1947. The genus belongs to the diverse group of solitary wasps characterized by aposematic coloration and wingless females. As a member of Mutillidae, males are winged while females are wingless and often exhibit defensive behaviors including a powerful sting. The genus appears to be rarely encountered, with limited observational records available.
Pseudomethoca anthracina
Pseudomethoca anthracina is a species of velvet ant (family Mutillidae), a group of solitary wasps in which females are wingless and often possess potent stings. Like other mutillids, this species exhibits sexual dimorphism with winged males and apterous females. The genus Pseudomethoca is part of a diverse assemblage of velvet ants in North America. Observations suggest activity in sandy habitats, consistent with many mutillid species that nest in soil.
Pseudomethoca athamas
Pseudomethoca athamas is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. The species is found in western North America, specifically in California, Oregon, and Baja California. Like other mutillids, females are wingless and males are winged. The genus Pseudomethoca includes species that have been proposed as models for mimicry by checkered beetles (family Cleridae), particularly the orange-banded checkered beetle Enoclerus ichneumoneus.
Pseudomethoca bequaerti
Pseudomethoca bequaerti is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. Velvet ants are actually solitary wasps, with females being wingless and often brightly colored with aposematic coloration. The genus Pseudomethoca is part of a diverse group of mutillids found in North America.
Pseudomethoca brazoria
A species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, characterized by the wingless females typical of this family. The species name refers to Brazoria County, Texas, suggesting a geographic association with the Gulf Coastal Plain region. As with other mutillids, females are solitary and possess a potent sting, while males are winged and less frequently encountered.
Pseudomethoca flammigera
Pseudomethoca flammigera is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae (order Hymenoptera). The genus Pseudomethoca contains species that are frequently suggested as models for mimicry complexes involving other insects, particularly checkered beetles in the family Cleridae. As with other mutillids, females are wingless and males are winged. The species is known from very limited observation records.
Pseudomethoca frigida
Pseudomethoca frigida is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, a group of solitary wasps known for their aposematic coloration and powerful stings. The genus Pseudomethoca contains species that are often considered models for mimicry complexes, particularly for checkered beetles (Cleridae) such as Enoclerus ichneumoneus. Like other mutillids, females are wingless and males are winged, with the sexes exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism. The species was described by Smith in 1855 and is part of the diverse North American velvet ant fauna.
Pseudomethoca meritoria
Pseudomethoca meritoria is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae (order Hymenoptera). The genus Pseudomethoca is part of a diverse group of solitary wasps in which females are wingless and exhibit aposematic coloration. Like other mutillids, this species likely exhibits the characteristic traits of the family: females are wingless and ant-like in appearance, while males possess wings. The genus name Pseudomethoca indicates a close relationship to the genus Methoca, from which it may be distinguished by subtle morphological differences.
Pseudomethoca oceola
Pseudomethoca oceola is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, order Hymenoptera. Like other mutillids, females are wingless and possess a potent sting, while males are winged. The genus Pseudomethoca contains species that are often proposed as models for mimicry by checkered beetles (Cleridae), particularly in the genus Enoclerus.
Pseudomethoca oculata
Pseudomethoca oculata is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae (order Hymenoptera). Velvet ants are actually flightless female wasps, not true ants. The genus Pseudomethoca includes species that serve as potential models for Müllerian or Batesian mimicry complexes involving other insects, particularly beetles in the family Cleridae. Observations of this species are documented in iNaturalist, though detailed biological information appears limited in published sources.
Pseudomethoca paludata
Pseudomethoca paludata is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. Velvet ants are actually flightless female wasps, not true ants. The genus Pseudomethoca contains species that are part of the diverse North American mutillid fauna. Like other mutillids, females are wingless and possess a potent sting, while males are winged and lack a functional sting.
Pseudomethoca quadrinotata
Pseudomethoca quadrinotata is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae, described by Knull in 1938. The genus Pseudomethoca is part of the diverse velvet ant fauna of North America, characterized by aposematic coloration and the wingless condition of females. This species is among the relatively small number of Pseudomethoca species documented in the region.