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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Cow Killer

Posted by bugman March 10th, 2005 at 1:00 am

Categories

Velvet Ants

Fuzzy bug
HI. Last October I found this fuzzy red/black bug following me. It was the weirdest thing that I’ve ever seen. I would move then make a noise and the bug would move in my direction. I’ve never seen a bug like this before. Any ideas what it is?
Thanks,
Victoria

Hi Victoria,
Lucky for you that you didn’t try to pick up that Cow Killer. Cow Killer is a local name for this species of Velvet Ant, which is in fact a flightless female wasp. Dasymutilla occidentalis gets its colorful common name because many people believe the painful sting is strong enough to kill a cow. They run quickly and are very aggressive. The males fly. They range from New York to Florida and west to Texas, but they are most common in the South.

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