Cedar Creek
Natural History Area
|
    |
Insects of Cedar Creek
Order HYMENOPTERA
Family MUTILLIDAE
(Velvet Ants)
Velvet Ants (483 NA spp) are common in xeric old fields and savanna regions
of Cedar Creek. The females are wingless, and generally orange and black
in color. They have a powerful sting and are most frequently seen searching
xeric sandy fields for the nests of provisioning bees and wasps. The males
have wings. Perhaps nine species of Dasymutilla
(incl. ?nigripes, bioculata, quadriguttata, vesta, cypris, caneo,
canella, asopus?)
have been collected, but some only
as females and others only as males.
Myrmosa unicolor,
Pseudomethoca
(2 spp),and
Ephuta
conchate have been collected from a few fields (hosts
generally soil nesting bees?).
REFERENCES
Mickel, CE (1922). Preliminary notes on the Mutillidae of Minnesota
with descriptions of three new species. Mn Ag Expt Station Paper
No. 391.