Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies (Pompiloidea) » Velvet Ants (Mutillidae) » Sphaeropthalminae » Dasymutillini » Dasymutilla » Sacken's Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla sackenii)
Photo#145272
Dasymutilla sp? - Dasymutilla sackenii - female
Copyright © 2007 Aaron Schusteff

Dasymutilla sp? - Dasymutilla sackenii - Female
Fort Ord, near city of Marina, Monterey County, California, USA
September 6, 2007
Wondering if anyone out there might be able to identify this Velvet Ant to species? It was bustling about (along with a much smaller female) on a sandy dirt road in maritime chaparral on BLM protected habitat near Monterey, CA. I tried unsuccessfully to key it using The California Velvet Ants of the Genus Dasymutilla(1951), but most key characters were not discernable in the photo (and I think there may be many more species known in California since 1951). The closest match I could find among photos posted on BugGuide is Dasymutilla vestita:
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Aaron Schusteff on 13 September, 2007 - 1:41am
Last updated 11 June, 2015 - 4:43pm

Moved
Moved from Dasymutilla.
… George Waldren, 22 September, 2007 - 2:35am login or register to post comments

D. sackenii or D. satanas
This is either Dasymutilla sackenii or Dasymutilla satanas. Both have very long pubescence on the abdomen. It is not D. vestita because the thorax is longer than broad.

The way to tell them apart is that the underside of the abdomen of D. sackenii has black setae, while D. satanas has red setae.

Hopefully Kevin or Will will see this and can get it down to species if possible.
… George Waldren, 13 September, 2007 - 12:50pm login or register to post comments

 
D. sackenii
I would go with D. sackenii based on range, D. satanas typically only occurs in the hot deserts east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, while D. sackenii occurs in the Central Valley and Coast range of California. Typically D. sackenii has white hair, but I have seen a few specimens with this bright orange colored hair before.
… Kevin Williams, 18 September, 2007 - 12:56pm login or register to post comments

 
Many Thanks Kevin
I appreciate your help and expertise!

Hopefully some Fort Ord naturalist-regulars will keep an eye out for variation among orange and white-haired dasymutillids in the area. There are a number of such enthusiasts, now that Ft Ord is BLM managed with increased emphasis on environmental values. (And I'll certainly keep my eyes open when I'm out and about :-)
… Aaron Schusteff, 18 September, 2007 - 4:46pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the Info
I'll try to note the color of setae on underside of abdomen next time. The naturalists and land stewards at Ft Ord are likely to see velvet ants fairly often...they'll appreciate your remarks.
… Aaron Schusteff, 13 September, 2007 - 3:26pm login or register to post comments

 
Glad to help!
I'll move this to the genus page, it will have better luck there.
… George Waldren, 14 September, 2007 - 10:01pm login or register to post comments

Fuzzy:-)
I wish I could help, but wanted you to know we have at least two real good authorities on Mutillidae that regularly visit here. You should eventually get a concrete ID.
… Eric R. Eaton, 13 September, 2007 - 12:49pm login or register to post comments

 
Great!
That's very fortunate, and good to know. I look forward to any further remarks/insights.
… Aaron Schusteff, 13 September, 2007 - 3:30pm login or register to post comments

 
Velvet Ant
I have come across this "Velvet Ant" in the Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley in August of 2010. While walking on a trail called the Lupine Loop,I was going towards the seasonal waterfall but took photo well before you reach the waterfall, in a flat, open area
… Richard Hubbard, 11 September, 2010 - 6:02pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact