Unknown ant-like insect
July 16, 2010
Location: Virginia
Okay, out in my yard today in Virginia, I encountered a bug I’ve never seen in my life. It’s mostly shaped like an ant, only massive like the size of a bee or such. It’s a deep, bright red with a couple black stripes across its abdomen and appears to have a somewhat velvety texture (though I didn’t touch it to make sure). It does not possess any wings. Normally, I’d just let it go but I have two small nephews staying with me right now and don’t want any harm to come to them.
Deimos
Cow Killer
Hi Deimos,
Congratulations on being the first person to use our brand new form. We hope our readership likes our new form and that it makes submitting identification requests easier. Your insect is a Velvet Ant known as a Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis. We hope you heeded the warning colors, because Velvet Ants are actually flightless female wasps that can sting. The common name Cow Killer refers to the sting being so painful it might kill a cow. Though the sting could not kill a cow, it is none the less reported to be quite painful.
I like This
I’ve heard stories of cows actually eating these (by accident) while grazing and were stung in the throat when being swallowed and did indeed die. Just a story-not much proof but something to consider.
Many years ago when I was 9 or 10 years old I saw one of these velvet ants for the first time. It was beautiful so I scooped it up in my hands to take home to show my mother. Before I made it home it stung me and I can say that it was the worst insect sting that I can remember, but I did not die.
I see them frequently and let them go on their way.
My father pointed one of these out to me when I was about 4 years old on a farm in Delaware. The thing that shocked me the most (and makes me avoid all wasps like the plague) was how it stings. He took a piece of styrofoam and agitated the thing until it reared it’s abdomen above its head and the styrofoam actually vibrated as it was attacked. He called it a cow killer too, but didn’t say it could kill them, it would most likely make them bolt once stung, like a snake could, and that stinger would get through their hide on their feet.
Dear shadowspawn,
Thank you so much for this anecdotal information. First hand observational information like this is so important to our website.
In south Georgia in the early ’60s, farmers used to tell me that this wasp got its name by getting into the cloven hoofs of cows and stinging them there. The cow would then run madly off and sometimes be injured or fall, breaking it’s leg. Thus the name, as the lame cow would then have to be put down.
This is just about the best and most plausible explanation of the common name Cowkiller we have ever heard.
This story is indeed about as close to fact as possible. The hoof is one of the few places where the cows couldn’t do a thing about the wasp, as it couldn’t be reached. This is a great site Bugman, I expect to learn quite a bit. South Florida certainly has its share of native and non-natives to keep us guessing, and your site is a tremendous tool for identifying these multi-legged/antennaed/eyed/winged/ etc etc little monsters! LOL Thanks!
I nearly picked one up the other day but my daugheter stopped me. We made a comic after finding the name “cow killer” on this site.
Thanks, BugMan.
http://eyecomics.blogspot.com/2011/07/velvet-ant.html
We just linked back to your comic on a recent posting of a gorgeous Cow Killer.
[...] We have always been intrigued by the origin of the name Cow Killer, and back in 2010, a comment from 22AGS was posted to our site that provided this anecdote: “In south Georgia in the early ’60s, [...]
These things are so hard to kill !!! You have to put complete pressure on them and still step on them and move your foot about 10 times before you can actually kill them !! I hate being mean and cruel, but I am one who cannot stand spiders, insects or anything of the nature! I have two sons, one who is 6 and another who is 2, and I am scared they may have an allergic reaction and I hate making them put shoes on when going outside to play, we have a small farm and it seems like we find these cow killers, especially around my flower beds around the front porch!
I messed around with what looked like and probably was a cow killer in south GA when I was about 12. I tried to kill it but couldn’t so I put a glass over it on the ground where I found it. It was very agitated from my messing with it and started to make a loud, for a bug, noise. I left and returned later that day to find some ants trying to get to the killer. It was still making that noise and it seamed as if the ants were responding the cow killers calls. Are ants attracted to cow killers distress calls?
We don’t know, but perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide some information.