Velvet ants | Cow killers | Mutillidae

Insects like ants have winged female individuals and lose them after mating. Velvet ants unlike as their name suggests it is not an ant but a species of wasp, species of wasp whose females have no wings (males do). They are nick named "Cow killers" (certainly) because of their toxic venom. 

  

Unlike true ants, they are solitary, and lack complex social systems. The exoskeleton of all velvet ants is unusually tough (to the point that some entomologists have reported difficulty piercing them with steel pins when attempting to mount them.) The exoskeleton of the velvet ant is remarkably strong. It required 11 times more force to crush than that of the honeybee. Aside from protection from predators, the exoskeleton also helps control moisture. The stinger is a modified female organ called an ovipositor, which is unusually long and  maneuverable in mutillids. A structure called "Stridulitrum" on the metasoma is used to produce a squeaking or chirping sound when alarmed. Adult mutillids feed on nectar. Although some species are strictly nocturnal , females are active during the day. In an experimentally one 'side-blotched' lizard attacked a velvet ant. The velvet ant was exhibiting rapid movements to ward off an attack. Once the attack occurred the ant would immediately sting the lizard the side blotched lizard was found dead in it's tank 24 hours later. The size-blotched lizard is a natural predator of the velvet ants. Due to these strong defense mechanisms local predators generally avoid the velvet ants, so it is difficult to specify it's predators. Velvet ants exhibit haplo-diploid sex determination.

Comment below for any suggestion or topics for next blog 😊👍😃.

Maanavendra roy, Nava aaditya 
And follow me on blogger !!

As far as we know, no cow has ever died from a sting. The sting may be painful, but the venom is not very toxic. The sting, though extremely painful, is rarely dangerous. Their nickname of “cow killers” is undeserving.