Females also must chew through the pupal case of its host in order to deposit an egg. Sometimes the entrance to the host's developing young is sealed, which must be chewed through as well. Many older specimens have worn mandibles from doing this throughout their lives.

Great photos!

but fighting is another one. And a Velvet Ant female sometimes has to struggle for her life, either against a female of the host species who would surprise her in her brood's nest, or against another velvet ant who wants to parasitize the same nest.