Velvet ants in cultural and applied entomology Hymenoptera Vespoidea Mutillidae Ameisenwespen in ethnologischer und angewandter Entomologie Hymenoptera Vespoidea Mutillidae
Tschuch, G.
Entomologia Generalis 251: 067-074
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0171-8177
Accession: 038878887
Mutillid wasps influence humans only slightly because they rarely occur in large numbers. Many species, however, are conspicuous because of their bright aposematic coloration. In some geographical regions, members of this family are well known for the painful stings of the females. There are many different common names for some species of Mutillidae, and they sometimes feature in myths and in naturopathy. In applied entomology they play a role only in two cases: (a) In the first half of the 20th century, Mutilla europaea Linnaeus 1758 was reported to cause damage in colonies of honeybees. (b) Some species of Mutillidae have been reported to be parasitoids of tsetse flies (Glossina spp).