Velvet Ants

Velvet Ants or Mutillidae are a family of wasps whose males have wings but females are wingless and resemble ants. They are not aggressive however the females have a very painful sting if handled. Some species are known as "Cow Killer Ant" because their sting is said to be painful enough to kill even a cow. The adult velvet ants feed on nectar while their larvae are parasites that consume larvae or pupae of wasp that nest in the ground .

Velvet Ants
Velvet Ant
Velvet Ant
Velvet Ant

5 comments:

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Interesting. Where do these ants live? I hope not close to me... :)

Great photos.

adrie said...

Hehehe...your photo objects are peculiar, but I like it...

J.J. Cedar Glader said...

Oh god yes! i was once stung by one when i was in pest control, there were several living off a large carpenter any colony in an old hollow oak here in Nashville, terrible pain, I wore gloves from that point on when touching a carpenter ant tree, the pictures of them on the skin make me cringe, lol.

Marvin said...

Evidently you are not afraid to risk finding out if a velvet ant sting is so painful it will kill a cow. Or, did you have someone else hold the female wasp while you photographed? :-)

There are also several species here in North America -- even the common name for some is the same.

Anonymous said...

I am deathly allergic to any kind of bee,wasp,or even ant there is no way i would survive a bite or sting or what ever they do,but my husband and I were at a Sawgrass Park in St.Petersburg,Fl on July 28,2010 and saw this beautiful bright red ant so we thought,it scurried across the walkway So we took pictures thank god we didn't try and pick it up,So here's the picture Please enjoy and how beautiful it is.

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