Velvet Ant Facts

Velvet Ant Facts Velvet ants are part of class Insecta and are found worldwide. They get their name from the bright, fuzzy fur on their bodies. For example, Dasymutilla occidentalis (red velvet ant) is derived from the Greek root word meaning shaggy (dasy). Fast Facts: Velvet Ants Scientific Name: MutillidaeCommon Names: Velvet AntOrder: HymenopteraBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateDistinguishing Characteristics: Black or brown bodies with bright red or orange velvety hairSize: 0.25-0.8 inchesDiet: Bumblebee larvae, nectarHabitat: Desert, meadows, fields, forest edgesConservation Status: Not assessedFun Fact: Red velvet ants are often called cow killers because their stings were said to be powerful enough to kill a cow. Description Velvet ants are wasps that get their name from the velvety fur on their bodies and are not very aggressive. Females do not have wings and walk along the ground for food, while the males have transparent wings and look more like wasps. Females possess curved stingers that extend from the abdomen and can sting multiple times. In some species, such as cow killer ants, their stingers have venom. Although the venom is not particularly toxic, the sting will hurt. Males do not have stingers, but they do have pointed pseudo stingers. Additionally, velvet ants have hard exoskeletons, and their bodies consist of a thorax and abdomen, both of which have short hairs. These ants are between 0.25 and 0.8 inches in size, and they have six legs and antenna. Habitat and Distribution Velvet ants are found worldwide. Some, like the red velvet ant, are mainly found throughout the U.S., but especially in dry regions. They gravitate towards open areas like fields, meadows, and even lawns. However, because velvet ants are parasitic, they will appear wherever their host species, such as bumblebees and wasps, live. Diet and Behavior Velvet Ant searching for prey. Â  rkhphoto/iStock/Getty Images Adult velvet ants consume nectar and water from flowers like milkweed. They may also consume larvae and adult insects, such as flies and beetles. Young velvet ants eat the body of their host as well as its larvae or cocoons. Females are most often found scurrying along the ground looking for nests of host species, while males are found on flowers. Velvet ants are relatively solitary creatures and are most active at dusk/night. These wasps are not normally aggressive and will not sting unless aggravated. Males and females can make squeaking sounds by rubbing abdominal segments against each other as a warning sign or when trapped. As parasites, they attack bumblebee nests, other kinds of wasp nests, and even fly and beetle nests to implant their eggs into them. While females spend most of their time searching for any sign of nests, males are usually spotted flying above the ground in search of a mate. Reproduction and Offspring Males fly close to the ground in search of potential mates and try to detect pheromones the females secrete. After mating, and to ensure the survival of her offspring, females search for and infiltrate ground nests of bumblebees and wasps to lay their eggs. Once a suitable host is located, the female lays her one to two eggs in the hosts larvae. She chooses larvae that have completed feeding and are ready for pupation by cutting through the cocoon and laying her eggs inside. The young will then grow and emerge from the host. The young eat their host, spend the winter in cocoons they spin within the case of the host, and emerge as adults in late spring. From the time they hatch, these young are on their own. One generation of velvet ants per female is likely produced each year. Species Velvet Ant. Â  fitopardo.com/Moment/Getty Images Insects in the family Mutillidae are considered velvet ants due to the similar salient features of the females- wingless and with velvety fur. About 8,000 species have been reported worldwide in the family Mutillidae, with 435 species located in the southern and western parts of North America. The most common species in this family is Dasymutilla occidentalis, which is known as the cow killer. Depending on the location, different species will have different sizes of males and females. In most species, the males are typically larger than the females, but six species found in Florida have similar sizes between males and females. Conservation Status Velvet ants have not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are not considered pests because they rarely invade homes. Sources Cow Killer (Dasymutilla Occidentalis). Insect Identification, 2019, https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identificationCow-Killer.Cowkiller Velvet Ant. Aquarium Of The Pacific, 2019, aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/cowkiller_velvet_ant.Mutillidae - Velvet Ants. Featured Creatures, 2019, https://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/wasps/mutillidae.htm. Velvet Ant | Insect. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/animal/velvet-ant.Velvet Ants. Insects In The City, 2019, https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/wasps/ent-3004/.Velvet Ants, A.K.A Cow Killers Ants. Pestworld.Org, 2019, https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/stinging-insects/velvet-ants-cow-killers/.

Average SAT Scores What They Are and What They Mean

Average SAT Scores What They Are and What They Mean SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When they first start tutoring, almost all students ask the same question: what is the average SAT score? The answer varies a bit every year, but for students in the class of 2013, the average SAT score was a 1497. I’ve created a chart by section below. Critical Reading Math Writing 497 513 487 However, the nationwide average doesn’t actuallymatter! What’s actually important is how your score compares to those of the other students applying to the same colleges and scholarships as you. You’ll need a much higher score to apply to very selective schools like Stanford or Princeton,buta 1500 is a totally acceptable score if you want to apply to smaller campuses of big state school systems. Let’s look at what an average SAT score really means and how it affects you. The National Average Doesn’t Matter - Really! Almosttwo million students take the SAT every year, and they go onto all kinds of different schools,fromIvy League universitiesto local community colleges. The national average includes all of these students'scores. But you're not competing against every single high schooler in the same year as you; you’re only competing against the students who are interested in the same schools and programs as you are. Theimportant thing is to have a score the same as or higher than the average among that group, and whether that average is above or below the national onewill depend entirely on the type of schools you’re interested in. How You Stack Up AgainstYour Peers We've established that the national average doesn't really mean much, but maybe you still want to know how you compare to other students in a general sense. In that case, you might want to look athow your SAT scores compare to those of other students like you, i.e. those with similar grades and backgrounds. To get a sense of how you fit in the range, you can look up at the average SAT score for students at your high school or for those with similar GPAs. Keep in mind, though, that when it comes to college applications, these numbers arealmost as irrelevant as the national one. Adorable dogs duking it out over SAT scores. Average SAT Score for Your High School To find the average SAT score for your school, you can try checking with counseling office ofsearching for â€Å"[your school] SAT scores† on the web. The second approach is more likely to work if you live in an area with high SAT adoption. If you live in an ACT mandatory state, it’s probably easier to find your school's ACT scores and convert them to SAT scores. However, remember that most colleges don’t compare you against your classmates. Though this information can be interesting it shouldn’t be a source of stress. Average SAT Score for High Achievers The average SAT scores for honors students are generally muchhigher than those for all US high schoolers. If you’re a top â…“ honor student, the average SAT score is 1810. If you’re a top 1/10 honor student, the average is 2000. If you’re not scoring that highly, don’t panic. Your personal score goal will still depend on the schools you want to apply to, and plentyof great schools admit mostly students withscores below 2000. The Key Number: The Average SAT Score for Your First-Choice College Ultimately, your SAT score is a tool to help you get into college, so what you really need to know is the average ACT score for students admitted to the school you want to attend. Generally speaking, very selective schools generally have average SAT around 2200, moderately selective schools have an average SAT score around 1800, and less selective schools have an average SAT score around 1550. However, you should look up the specific SAT score range for each school you're planning to apply to. To find this information, check the college’s admissions page or search forâ€Å"[college name] SAT score.† The schools usually list a range from the 25th to 75th percentile - you’ll want to shoot for the higher end of the range. Use the worksheet on this page to calculate your exact target score based on all the schools you’re interested in. What's Next? If you haven't reached your score goal just yet, consider checking out some of our SAT prep resources. You can start with the 5 general strategies you must know and then break yourprep down by section with our ultimate guides to reading, writing, and math (coming soon). Or perhaps you'd fare better with the ACT? Usethese guides to decide whether you might prefer to focus on the ACT: the ACT vs. the current SAT and the ACT vs. the new SAT. But what ifyou're already scoring well on the SAT, but are struggling with a low GPA? This guide can help. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Alex Heimbach About the Author Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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