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Velvet ant (female)

Dasymutilla quadriguttata

Description:

Females: Mesosoma is longer than broad with a scutellar scale. Presence of linear tubercles on the posterolateral angles of the head. Coloration and number of maculae/spots on the second tergite varies. Males: A pit filled with dense setae present on the second sternite. Coloration doesn't seem to vary much (all black or very dark red except for the orange integument on the second tergite). Males will likely pose a problem when identifying from photos, as they can have the same coloration as Dasymutilla bioculata and Dasymutilla vesta (entirely black except for the orange/yellow macula on the second tergite).

Habitat:

Open grassland

Notes:

This girl was found walking across the kitchen floor of a friend's farmhouse. We were visiting and having dinner, so I quickly asked for a container and scooped her up for a slightly later photograph session. As I tried last year with a different species, a drop of honey was used to stop her for photos. It really works! This species is very similar to Dasymutilla parksi, but the difference lies in the shape of the head. The posterior corners of the head are strongly angulate in D. parksi and not in D. quadriguttata.

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1 Comment

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 11 years ago

nice,

Aaron_G
Spotted by
Aaron_G

Wann, Oklahoma, USA

Spotted on Jul 7, 2012
Submitted on Jul 11, 2012

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