Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets (Vespoidea) » Velvet Ants (Mutillidae) » Pseudomethoca

Genus Pseudomethoca

sweep net velvet ant - Pseudomethoca frigida - female

pseudomethoca simillima - Pseudomethoca simillima - male

Pseudomethoca dentifrontalis - Pseudomethoca athamas - female

pseudomethoca paludata - Pseudomethoca paludata - female

Velvet ant? - Pseudomethoca quadrinotata - female

Black Velvet Ant - Pseudomethoca anthracina - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps)

Superfamily Vespoidea (Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets)

Family Mutillidae (Velvet Ants)

Genus Pseudomethoca

Explanation of Names

Author of genus is Ashmead 1896.

Methocha (or sometimes spelled Methoca) is a genus of Tiphid wasps, so this genus name presumably means false Methoca (Internet searches).

Numbers

Nearctica.com lists 43 species.

Size

6-10 mm (females, various guide photos)

Identification

Univ. Florida--Velvet Ants--the key describes features of this genus:

eyes circular to slightly ovate (egg-shaped)

head less than twice the width of mesosoma (middle body segment); head not toothed

mesosoma narrowed in middle

pygidium usually with lateral carinae (strong ridges)

see above reference for more details

Internet References

Univ. Florida--Velvet Ants

Contributed by Joel Kits on 17 March, 2005 - 11:23pm
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 2 April, 2008 - 6:34pm

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