Dasymutilla ursus
Insecta
RARE
Stats
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Size
- Large
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Desert
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Running
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Venom
- Status
- Rare
About
This fuzzy flightless wasp lives in sandy soil across North America. Its exoskeleton is so thick that insect pins often bend when trying to pierce its armor.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
- 2.juvenileAn immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
- 3.subadultA near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
- 4.adultFully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Mutillidae
- Genus
- Dasymutilla
- Species
- Dasymutilla ursus