Which family is commonly known as velvet ants?

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Study for the Science Olympiad Entomology Exam. Dive into entomology with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and explanations to help you ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which family is commonly known as velvet ants?

Explanation:
Velvet ants are a group of wasps in the family Mutillidae. The name comes from their dense, velvety covering of hair and their ant-like appearance, which is especially true for the wingless females. The females resemble ants because they lack wings, while males have wings and look like typical wasps. This contrast within the same family often leads to confusion, but the key is that they are wasps, not true ants or butterflies. The other options are different insect groups: one is a family of parasitoid wasps that are not velvet ants, another is gall wasps that induce galls on plants, and the last is a family of butterflies. So the correct family is Mutillidae.

Velvet ants are a group of wasps in the family Mutillidae. The name comes from their dense, velvety covering of hair and their ant-like appearance, which is especially true for the wingless females. The females resemble ants because they lack wings, while males have wings and look like typical wasps. This contrast within the same family often leads to confusion, but the key is that they are wasps, not true ants or butterflies. The other options are different insect groups: one is a family of parasitoid wasps that are not velvet ants, another is gall wasps that induce galls on plants, and the last is a family of butterflies. So the correct family is Mutillidae.

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