Brazilian Velvet Ant

About Brazilian Velvet Ant: 

• Velvet ants are a group of parasitic wasps that are well known for a suite of defensive adaptations including bright coloration and a formidable sting.
• Appearance: They’re wasps, some of which are wingless, and are named in part for their exteriors. Velvet ant is known for its distinct black and white markings.
• Habitat: It is found in shrub desert in Brazil called the Caatinga.
• Characteristics
  • It demonstrates remarkable mobility and covers significant distances in pursuit of hosts on the ground.
  • It is usually found throughout the day, peak activity typically coincides with the early morning and late afternoon, during periods of subdued sunlight.
  • It is recently found that the black parts on female velvet ants were actually ultrablack so that they absorbed nearly all visible light.
• Why this finding is Unique?
  • Ultrablack pigmentation is rare in the animal kingdom.
  • In organisms that have it, it helps them hide from predators, regulate body temperature or even attract mates, as the contrast against brighter colors can be visually enticing.

Q1: What is a Parasite?

It is an organism that lives on or in another organism, the host, and gets its food from or at the expense of its host.

Source: IE

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