More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Wasps of Zihuatanejo
ORDER HYMENOPTERA
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)
-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
-Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)
-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)
-Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)
-Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants, and Allies (Superfamily Pompiloidea)
-Velvet Ants (Family Mutillidae)
-Subfamily Sphaeropthalminae
-Tribe Dasymutillini
-Genus Dasymutilla
-Dasymutilla zoster
Velvet ants are actually not ants at all, but rather a type of wasp belonging to the family Mutillidae. The females are wingless and covered in dense, velvety hairs, often in striking colors like red, orange, or black, which is where their common name comes from. Their bright colours serve as a warning to predators, as velvet ants can deliver a very painful sting.
Dasymutilla zoster
Description
• Dasymutilla zoster is a species of velvet ant in the family Mutillidae. Despite their name, velvet ants are wasps rather than ants. Females are wingless and often have dense, velvety body hairs, while males are winged. Velvet ants have a tough exoskeleton and a defensive sting, and their contrasting colour patterns can warn predators of their ability to defend themselves.
Range
• Dasymutilla zoster belongs to a diverse genus of velvet ants found primarily in the Americas. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• This species is associated with warm terrestrial environments, including open woodland, tropical scrub, grassland, and areas with exposed or sandy soil. Females typically travel across the ground while searching for the nests of suitable host insects.
Diet
• Adults may feed on nectar and other sugary plant secretions. The larvae develop as parasitoids in the nests of other insects, particularly bees and wasps, where they consume host offspring or provisions stored in the nest.