''Dasymutilla bioculata'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

velvet ant Velvet ants (Mutillidae) are a family (biology), family of more than 7,000 species of wasps whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Their common name velvet ant refers to their resemblance to an ant, and their dense pile of hair, whic ...

found in south-central North America, between roughly between the southern border of

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

and the northern border of

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

. The specific name comes from the "two orange spots" on the second

terga A ''tergum'' (Latin for "the back"; : ''terga'', associated adjective tergal) is the dorsal ('upper') portion of an arthropod segment other than the head. The anterior edge is called the 'base' and posterior edge is called the 'apex' or 'margin'. ...

in males. Velvet ants are actually a type of parasitic wasp; ''Dasymutilla bioculata'' females lays their eggs inside the cocoons of other wasps. Males of this species are very difficult to visually distinguish from '' Dasymutilla quadriguttata'' and '' Dasymutilla vesta'' males. This species has 21 binonimal synonyms.

References

Mutillidae Insects described in 1865 Taxa named by Ezra Townsend Cresson Hymenoptera of North America {{Hymenoptera-stub