Mutilla europaea, the large velvet ant, is a species of parasitoid wasps belonging to the family Mutillidae.

[1] In Great Britain, it is locally distributed, mainly in the south and east, but has recently been recorded as far north as Aberdeenshire.

In England, it appears to have its closest association with lowland heaths, and the females are most often recorded running across sandy paths.

Various bumblebees in the genus Bombus are the main hosts for this species, although it has also been infrequently reported in the hives of the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

[5] When threatened, these wasps can stridulate by rubbing a raised structure, called the plectrum, which is found on the underside of the second tergum, over rows of dense narrow ridges at the base of adjoining segment.

[2] These wasps are also known to be very strong and armoured with a thick skin, and in North America, related species have been reported to be able to force their escape from the mouths of predators such as lizards and frogs.