Subfamily
Sphaeropthalminae
Dasymutilla californica. Photo: (c) Ian Marsman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps 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 giant panda. Their bright colors serve as aposematic signals….
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