Dasymutilla occidentalis
| Dasymutilla occidentalis | ||||||||||||
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Dasymutilla occidentalis , female |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Dasymutilla occidentalis | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
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Dasymutilla occidentalis is a hymenoptera (Hymenoptera)found in North Americafromthe ant family wasps (Mutillidae).
features
The adults, which are relatively large for an ant wasp, reach a body length of normally 3/4 to a maximum of one inch (approx. 25 mm) in the females, the males are somewhat smaller. There is a clear sexual dimorphism between the sexes . In the females, the head and thorax are brightly red and hairy, the abdomen is alternately broadly black and red stripes. The antennae and the thorn-studded legs are black. Only the females have a long sting and poison glands. They are also wingless and resemble an ant in body structure and behavior, which is why they are sometimes given the common name Red velvet ant ( Red velvet ant ) in English usage . However , the species does not belong to the ants family (Formicidae) . Only the males have narrow, dark, transparent wings. The head, thorax and abdomen are dull reddish to orange-yellow in color, the posterior segments are black.
Distribution and occurrence
The species is widespread in the eastern United States as far as Texas . It prefers to colonize dry, sandy areas, meadows and forest edges.
Way of life
The crepuscular and nocturnal adults can be found from late spring to the beginning of autumn. They feed on flower nectar. The females lay their eggs one by one in bumblebees' nests ( bombus ) under the earth's surface . The larvae feed on after hatching parasitic of the larvae and pupae of the hosts and pupate grown even in their nests.
Defense Mechanisms
Dasymutilla occidentalis has a number of defense mechanisms that are used in various ways to ward off predators:
- The entire body structure with the smooth cuticula and the aposematic warning color pattern generally offers good protection against potential enemies.
- The wingless females use a long, agile sting with strong venom against attackers. A sting is very painful for humans too. The common name Cow killer (cow killer), which is sometimes used in English, is, however, greatly exaggerated.
- Due to the long, extraordinarily mobile legs, the wasp is able to run very quickly and evasively on the run, only males can fly away from enemies of the ground.
- A crackling noise or stridulation is used to deter smaller attackers, for example arachnids .
- Enemies the size of lizards are sprayed with liquid chemical substances ( animal poison , mainly 4-methyl-3-heptanone).
Individual evidence
- ↑ size ( memento of the original from May 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ naming
- ↑ Information at BugGuide
- ↑ Justin O. Schmidt , Murray S. Blum: Adaptions and Responses of Dasymutilla occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) to Predators , Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Vol 21, No. 2, March 1977, pp 99-111.
Web links
- eol.org - Encyclopedia of Life