Mutillidae durable, the exoskeleton is also round, making it more difficult for predators to pierce it with attempted stings or bites. During all the trials that led to the fracture of a velvet ant’s exoskeleton, a total of 4 times, resulted in the death of that velvet ant within 24 hours. Thus aside from protection from predators, the exoskeleton provides a function maintaining moisture control. Male mutillids fly in search of females; after mating, the female enters a host insect nest, typically a ground-nesting bee or wasp burrow, and deposits one egg near each larva or pupa. Only a few species
Velvet spider Female velvet spiders exhibit a remarkable type maternal care unique among arachnids. Upon the birth of her brood, the mother spider liquefies her internal organs and regurgitates this material as food. Once her capability to liquefy her insides is exhausted, the young sense this and consume the mother. The genus "Penestomus" was previously placed in Eresidae as the subfamily Penestominae, but was elevated to its own family, Penestomidae, in 2010. , the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera: Velvet spider The velvet spiders (family Eresidae) are a small group (about 100 species in 9 genera) of almost totally Old