Summary ²

The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps (despite the names) whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Their common name velvet ant refers to their dense pile of hair which most often is bright scarlet or orange, but may also be black, white, silver, or gold. Black and white specimens are sometimes known as panda ants due to their hair coloration resembling that of the Chinese giant panda. Their bright colours...

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda, http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/379379222
2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutillidae

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
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