About Dasymutilla foxi
Dasymutilla foxi is a species of velvet ant native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is locally common in these regions. Its setal coloration is highly variable: each body segment ranges in color from whitish to reddish, and most eastern populations located in Colorado, Kansas, and Texas have a black setal patch on the mesosoma. This species was first described by entomologist Theodore D. A. Cockerell, and is named in honor of William J. Fox. Two previously described species, Dasymutilla phoenix and Dasymutilla dugesii, have been synonymized with Dasymutilla foxi. In 1928, C. E. Mickel recorded that females of this species vary in size from 5 to 11 mm. A note accompanying two specimens collected by Cockerell indicates that this species is parasitic in the nests of Diadasia species.
