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
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