Dasymutilla


The wasp genus Dasymutilla belongs to the family Mutillidae. The females of the genus are well known for their painful sting, which is where many gain their common name of cow killer. Females are wingless and resemble large ants while the males possess wings. The larvae are external parasites to various types of ground-nesting Hymenoptera.

Selected Species


Defenses

Not only are wasps in this genus equipped with a powerful venomous sting, together they form one of the largest Müllerian mimicry complexes in North America. There is an Eastern Mimicry Ring which includes D. occidentalis and D. vesta and there is the Western Mimicry Ring which includes many other species. The effect is to warn off predators by shared aposematic coloration without requiring inexperienced predators to taste and be stung by members of each species separately.
Aside from aposematic coloration, they can produce a loud squeaking noise which also warns potential predators. Their exoskeleton is remarkably strong; experiments concluded that 11 times more force was needed to crush the exoskeleton of a female velvet ant than that of a honey bee.