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Home » Forums » General Discussion

Dasymutilla occidentalis

I was wondering if anybody knows were I can find dasymutilla occidentalis, I've seen a bunch of nice photos of them, and wanted to know if any body had any extras. I live on the west coast so I can't really find them myself with out going the long distance.
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Contributed by William Ericson on 31 December, 2005 - 2:15am

Cow killer.
Actually, Dasymutilla occidentalis has a western subspecies: D. o. comanche, which may range in your area, I'm not sure. I collected one male in Oregon, and I'm not parting with it, sorry:-) Velvet ants in general, as I'm sure you have found, are "locally abundant," meaning where you find one you will usually find quite a few. Otherwise, they are not at all common. I have also heard from some experts that they are mostly crepuscular, coming out just before dark, on cloudy days, etc. Sandy areas are the best places to find the females as they search for the burrows of their hosts. Good luck!
… Eric R. Eaton, 3 January, 2006 - 10:40am login or register to post comments

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