Dasymutilla occidentalis Dasymutilla occidentalis Dasymutilla occidentalis (red velvet ant or eastern velvet ant), is a species of parasitoid wasp native to the eastern United States. It is commonly mistaken for a member of the true ant family, as the female is wingless. The species ranges from Connecticut to Missouri in the north and Florida to Texas in the south. Other common names include cow ant and cow killer. The eastern velvet ant is the largest of the velvet ant species in the United States, attaining an approximate length of 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Adults display aposematic coloration, consisting of black overall coloring
Thanasimus formicarius "Picea" for oviposition. Some experiments suggested that bark thickness could be a critical factor limiting pupation of "T. formicarius" on spruce. Possible mimicry: The shape of the body and coloration of ant beetles resemble those of velvet ants from the genera "Mutilla" that can be seen on the same places with ant beetles. Velvet ants are famous for their painful stinging. Thanasimus formicarius The ant beetle ("Thanasimus formicarius"), also known as the European red-bellied clerid, is a medium size insect, rather soft-bodied, with strong mandibles that can tear between the hard sclerotized integument of bark beetles. Larvae and adults are