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MitesRed furry bug
Hello
I found you on the Internet and it sounded like you would welcome Entomology questions. I have lived in the Phoenix Arizona area for over 50 years and frequently walk in the deserts of our great valley. I recently moved and now back up to the desert so I have the opportunity to walk the hills even more. Yesterday I was taking a hike up our mountain by the house and found a red furry looking insect, but don’t know what it is. I know growing up I used to see a different type of furry bug in a variety of colors; we called them "cow killers" but am sure that is not their real name. I have attached a few pictures of the bugs I just saw and would ask your assistance in identifying them. They actually look like ticks, but never saw a tick like that.
Thanks so much for your response
Chris
Hi Chris,
Cow Killer is a common local name for a Velvet Ant, a female flightless wasp. You have Velvet Mites, or Angelitos. These desert dwellers usually appear after rain and are predatory on grasshoppers.
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