Different Science Different Science
Butler prescient science International Space Station Scientific research Information Live Scientific research Earth brain signals Imperial University London

Panda ant: The wasps whose black and white females have giant stingers and parasitic babies

Panda ant: The wasps whose black and white females have giant stingers and parasitic babies

Panda ants have another uncommon skill– the capability to produce high-pitched noises by scrubing together components of their bodies such as their antennae or legs to caution off killers. Other wasps from the Mutillidae family can create similar sounds, the noise made by panda ants can get to ultrasonic levels.

A female panda ant can lay up to 2,000 eggs within her two-year life cycle.

As soon as the panda ant eggs hatch, they take in the host’s larvae. A female panda ant can lay up to 2,000 eggs within her two-year life cycle.

Panda ants don’t form colonies yet lead solitary lives in hot, completely dry seaside areas of Chile. They forage for food, which includes blossom nectar and tiny insects, and they tend to live in sandy locations where they can easily search for food and find various other pests’ nests to lay their eggs in.

Call me with news and offers from various other Future brandsReceive e-mail from us in behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy sending your info you agree to the Terms & Problems and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Why it’s awesome: Despite the name, panda ants are a type of wasp belonging to the Mutillidae family, whose wingless females resemble huge, hairy ants. They have a velvety white layer, with black places around the eyes and body– similar to pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

Panda ants mate airborne, with the winged males raising the flightless women. It’s not understood exactly why they do this, however it may be to prevent predators, to quit various other men mating with the women or to prevent the female from escaping.

This uncommon coloring is typically just seen in ladies, according to National Geographic. It is aposematic, suggesting it warns predators of its powerful, poisonous sting, which isn’t lethal to humans yet can be really excruciating. Only women have stingers, which are approximately half the size of their 0.3-inch-long (8 millimeters) bodies, as they are changed egg-laying body organs.

Lydia Smith is a health and wellness and scientific research reporter who works for U.K. and united state publications. She is examining for an MSc in psychology at the University of Glasgow and has an MA in English literary works from King’s University London.

Panda ants have an additional unusual ability– the ability to generate piercing sounds by rubbing together parts of their bodies such as their legs or antennae to advise off killers. Various other wasps from the Mutillidae family members can generate similar sounds, the sound made by panda ants can reach ultrasonic degrees. These noises may serve as a mating signal, as well as maintaining predators like rats away.

1 female panda ant
2 Panda ants