Thistledown velvet ant
Dafay jamThe thistledown velvet ant is a mid-sized member of the Dasymutilla genus, a group known as velvet ants. Its females have no wings and live in hot deserts in the south-western United States and northern Mexico. Females can deliver a very painful sting, so it is best to leave them alone.1

Ni ngay ko xàmmee
- Only the females are wingless.1
- It is mid-sized for a velvet ant, larger than some of the smallest species but smaller than some of the largest.1
- Females are camouflaged. They look like the fruit of the Creosotebush rather than having the bright warning colours seen in many other velvet ants.1
Ñu ngi koy faral di jaxasoo ak: Unlike the orange Dasymutilla species found in the same habitat, this species does not use bright orange or warning colours. Its camouflage helps it blend into the desert plants around it.1
Kàttanu daŋar
Daŋar bi dafay génn ci ab dag buy jam.
Ni mu lore nit ñi?
Musiba ci nit: Dafay mettiMën na metti lool, waaye lu bon du faral di am.Females can deliver a very painful sting when threatened. Its sting is more powerful than those of most smaller velvet ants, but weaker than those of most larger ones.1
Lan lay def bu tiitee?
Females use their sting to defend themselves when threatened.1
Su jamee
- Xuufal dagu yamb bi ba mu génn, te sedal fa mu jam.
- Su nit ki am jafe-jafe ci noyyi, kanamam walla putam funki, walla mu bëgg a xëm, allergie bu metti la (urgence): woo sa nimerob urgence te jëfandikoo stylo adrénaline bi mu am, su am.
Saa su nekk, woo jëkk sa nimerob urgence (112, 000, 911). Lii ay ndigal yu yaatu ci ndimbal yu jëkk la, du ndigalu doktoor. Li war a xam ci ndimbal yu jëkk
Sàmmal sa bopp
- Bul laal mukk, bul jàpp, bul sonal ab rab bu àll, doonte bu ndaw la, te doonte dafa mel ni dafa nelaw walla dafa dee.
- May ko bérab. Su nga ko gisee, dalal, dellu ginnaaw ndànk-ndànk te bàyyi ko mu dem yoonam.
- Su benn jamee la: dalal, bul yëngu, woo sa nimerob urgence (112, 000, 911) walla dem lopitaan ci gaaw. Bul fàtte ni mu meloon, ab nataal dina dimbali.
Du la wut. Dafay jëfandikoo daŋaram ngir jàpp lu muy lekk walla ngir aar boppam, te nëbbu moo ko gën a neex. Yeneen ci ni ngay sàmme sa bopp
Ni mu réye?
Ni mu guddoo?
gën a gàtt sa baaraam bu ndawThistledown velvet ant ni mu réye ci wetu YOW?
Ay waññ rekk ci sa navigateur. Dara du denc te dara du yónnee fenn.
Ni mu gaawe?
Xibaar
Its females are camouflaged to look like Creosotebush fruit, instead of using the bright warning colours common to other velvet ants.1
Its colouring seems to be mainly an adaptation to hot desert conditions, not a defence against predators.1
Its internal and external body temperatures are lower than those of orange Dasymutilla species living in the same habitat.1
Its sting is stronger than those of most smaller velvet ants, but weaker than those of most larger ones.1
Like other velvet ants, only the wingless females have the sting used for defence.1
Fa xibaar yi jóge
- Dasymutilla gloriosa (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
- Dasymutilla gloriosa (iNaturalist): tur ak ni ñu leen séddale.
- Venom Wiki: tolluwaayu musiba bi, réyaay bu yem bi ak xalaatu gaawaay bi, nun ñoo leen defar. Seetal ni nu leen waññe: Ni nuy natte musiba.
Xibaar bu nekk ci xët wii am na ab nimero buy won fa mu jóge. Su nu juumee, baal nu, nun ay nit ñu bëgg rab lanu, du ab jurnaalu xam-xam. Wax nu ko ci [email protected] te dinanu ko jubbanti.