Wasps — Batavia Coast and Midwest WAAcanthostethus sp Bembix spp Bembix vespiformis Bethylid Wasp Braconid Wasps Hatchet Wasps Velvet Ants
The commonly name Velvet Ants are found across Australia, with many species (some yet to be identified) in the Batavia Coast and Midwest region of Western Australia.
Velvet Ants is one of those terms that is known as a “negation”, a decription of an insect that is neither “velvet” nor is it an “ant”. Of course the hairy appearance (allude to the “velvet” description) and ant-like. The description of “Velvet Ants” actually describes the family Mutillidae , a group of wasps whose female of the species are wingless, and actually look like large hairy ants.
Mutillid Wasps are a family of more than 7,000 species of wasps whose common name of Velvet Ants, refer to their resemblance to ants. This group of wasp like ants usually have dense hair, can vary in colour from a bright scarlet or orange, black, white, silver or gold. These colours serve as “aposematic signals” (a warning visual signal of bright colours and high-contrast patterns indicating a noxious prey).
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Superfamily: Vespoidea
- Family: Mutillidae
- Subfamily: Sphaeropthalminae
Footnote & References
- Hatchet Wasps, Geraldton Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
- Hatchet wasps, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/hatchet-wasps/
- Evaniidae, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/8a632a9a-0847-4c74-a2e6-960770068324
- Hatchet Wasps (Family Evaniidae), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/199595-Evaniidae
Wasps — Batavia Coast and Midwest WAAcanthostethus sp Bembix spp Bembix vespiformis Bethylid Wasp Braconid Wasps Hatchet Wasps Velvet Ants
Insects — Batavia Coast and Midwest WANative Bees Wasps
Fauna — Batavia Coast and Midwest WAInsects Native Bees Wasps
The Batavia Coast and Midwest WAFauna
Western AustraliaThe Batavia Coast and Midwest WA Bungle Bungles – Purnululu National Park Great Southern WA Stirling Range National Park