Weird Wonderful Wildlife #12 – The Panda Ant

When is an ant not an ant? When it’s a female wasp that goes by the scientific name Euspinolia militaris. This wasp is indigenous to Chile, eats nectar and small insects and is a member of the Mutillidae family. All the females in this family are wingless and the panda ant is no exception. Although her black and white colors may look unassuming to us, to other predators, it’s a perfect example of aposematism, the means by which coloring warns them to back off. Only female panda ants have a stinger and it’s roughly half the length of their body- this is a modified egg laying organ and although she can sting us, her sting isn’t dangerous (just painful). Males and females are solitary insects, only coming together during mating season. At this time, an intriguingly bizarre ritual takes place – the male takes flight and lifts the female into the air with him, where they copulate before landing again. Scientists aren’t sure why they reproduce this way, but it could either be to prevent competition from other males or to force the female’s compliance. Either way, after mating, the female lays her eggs in the nest of a ground bee or wasp, ensuring that her young will have plenty of food when they hatch. When they do, the consume the host larvae and immediately pupate, ensuring that the cycle will begin again.

Source:

livescience.com/animals/insects/panda-ant-the-wasp-whose-black-and-white-females-have-giant-stingers-and parasitic-babies