In Supercurioso we love to share with our readers topics that help them discover data they may not know about cultures around the world, historical aspects that have left their mark, mysterious legends that are shared generation after generation and, of course, some curious facts about rare animals that inhabit the Earth . Of this last one it will be, precisely, of which we will speak today, since we will share you 15 curiosities on the panda ant, as well as you read it! An ant whose appearance resembles that of curious pandas bears that will surely leave you speechless. Are you ready?
The panda ant really is not an ant, it's a wasp which is part of the rare animals of the world because of his physical appearance. If you ever imagined that three species could be combined into a single one, the panda ant is an example of this, since its fur makes it look like a panda, visually it is mistaken for an ant for its walking style but, biologically, it is A wasp. Too much information! Better to know it for yourself and observe the images that we share with you of this very rare animal.
15 Curiosities of the Panda Ant | An ant ?, a wasp ?, a panda?
1. The scientific name of the panda ant is Euspinolia militaris .
2. As we mentioned earlier, one of their most common names is "ant panda", although it is also known as " velvet ant "
3. The species in question is a hymenoptera insect , group where we found bees, ants, bumblebees, wasps and other species.
4. The panda ant belongs to the Mutillidae family , in which it is also possible to find velvety ants that really have wasp characteristics.
5. The head of the panda ant is proportional to its body and possesses white hairs , however, the rest of its structure presents areas with black and white hairs, which allows it to carry the name so characteristic that it compares it with the black and white coat of the pandas .
6. There are differences between the female and male ants, the latter having a shorter coat and a pair of wings.
7. The life expectancy of the panda ant It is only two years old, this being one of the reasons why it is currently in danger of extinction.
8. Panda ants are able to put a total of 2000 eggs annually.
9. This type of wasps can be found commonly in forests of Chile , although they have also registered in U.S Y Argentina .
11. Adult wasps can reach a total length of 8 millimeters, including its sting, which is long and smooth.
12. The sting of the panda ant it is really dangerous, that is why it is popularly known as "kill cows" or "kill mules", due to the important number of animals that this wasp has managed to kill with it. It is believed that with only six bites the ant can kill an animal that weighs at least 1 kilo, thus overcoming the known wasp hunting tarantulas .
13. Unlike the common ants that we usually see in colonies, always accompanied by one another, the panda ant is lonely . Just look for company to deposit their eggs in some foreign nest, like those of other bees or wasps.
14. If we talk about the reproduction of the panda ants it is necessary to make reference to that the male (with wings) looks for the females and, after mating, the female ant tries to find a nest and deposit its eggs close to the larva.
15. Wasps of this type feed on the nectar of flowers.
What did you think of this wasp feature? Let us know in the comments your impression when viewing it in the photographs that we share with you. To get to know her in action, we present the following video, where you can see the panda ant in its natural habitat, which is usually the forests, as we told you in the previous curiosities:
Although the panda ant is not very well known, it is worth mentioning that it is not the only one that has a physical appearance similar to that of the bears in question. In Africa it is possible to find panda bat , which has been extensively studied and is part of the group of rare animals where we also find the wasp that you discovered today. Without a doubt, the world is full of very interesting species!