Velvet ant
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Velvet Ant |
| Scientific name | Mutilidae |
| Taxonomic group | Hymenoptera |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Selection and adaptations | Coloration |
| Coloration | Aposematic coloration |
| Organisms | Animals |
| Animals | Insects |
| Date | 1988 |
| Location | Monteverde,Costa Rica,North America |
Aposematic coloration in velvet ant, Costa Rica. Velvet ants are not actually ants, but wasps. Although males have wings, females such as the one shown here are wingless. Females have long stingers that can deliver a tremendous sting, which leads to their other common name, cow killers. Once seen, their distinctive color patterns are easy to remember (they come in other colors as well, usually strongly contrasting and easy to spot). This type of bright and memorable color pattern is called aposematic coloring, and acts as a warning.
