Mutilla

Mutilla is a genus of wasps in the family Mutillidae. Members of this family are commonly known as velvet ants because females are wingless and have dense, fuzzy bodies; in Mutilla, as in related genera, males possess wings. The dense hair and often striking coloration serve as warning signals to predators.

Biology: Mutilla species are parasitoids of other solitary Hymenoptera such as bees and wasps. The female seeks and enters host nests, deposits eggs on or near host larvae or prepupae, and the resulting larva consumes the host as it develops. Adults feed mainly on nectar.

Distribution and habitat: The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with numerous species described from North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Velvet ants favor open habitats, grasslands, deserts, and areas with abundant soil- or wood-associated host nests.

Human interactions: Stings from velvet ants can be very painful; they are generally not aggressive, but will sting if handled or pressed against the skin. Because females are wingless, their dispersal is more limited than that of males, and encounters with humans are typically limited to contact in nests or when the insect is disturbed.