Dasymutilla bioculata explained

Dasymutilla bioculata is a species of velvet ant found in south-central North America, between roughly between the southern border of South Dakota and the northern border of Zacatecas.^[1] The specific name comes from the "two orange spots" on the second terga in males. Velvet ants are actually a type of parasitic wasp; Dasymutilla bioculata females lays their eggs inside the cocoons of other wasps.^[2] Males of this species are very difficult to visually distinguish from Dasymutilla quadriguttata and Dasymutilla vesta males.^[3] This species has 21 binonimal synonyms.

Notes and References

1. Book: Williams, Kevin . Velvet Ants of North America . Pan . Aaron D. . Wilson . Joseph S. . 2024 . Princeton University Press . 978-0-691-25376-3 . Princeton Field Guides . Princeton, New Jersey . en-us . 10.1515/9780691253763 . 2023007206 . 1376195396.
2. News: Smith . Lloyd Mason . 1941-09-12 . Hammada, from the Director of the Desert Museum - Guest column: 'Velvet Ants' by Prof. Clarence E. Mickel . 2024-08-10 . The Desert Sun . Palm Springs, California . 2 . Newspapers.com . XV . 7.
3. Web site: Species Dasymutilla bioculata . 2024-08-10 . bugguide.net.