Unknown bug
Location: Southern Arizona
January 16, 2011 2:13 pm
Here’s a little guy I found in the lowlands of southern Arizona.
Signature: Richard

Velvet Ant

Hi Richard,
This little beauty is a Velvet Ant in the genus Dasymutilla, but we are unable to determine the exact species.  We found at least three species on Bugguide with similar markings.  Our leading candidate is Dasymutilla nogalensis which has been reported from Arizona on BugGuide.  Another strong contender is Dasymutilla magnifica which BugGuide reports from California and Nevada as well as Arizona.  Another look alike is Dasymutilla klugii which BugGuide does not report from Arizona, but which is reported from Colorado and Texas.  Velvet Ants are actually flightless female wasps and they are reported to pack a wallop of a sting, so handle them with care.  Interestingly, there is extreme sexual dimorphism in Velvet Ants and males which do not have a stinger possess wings.  They are also often quite different in their markings from the females.

Velvet Ant

Thank you for supplying us with multiple camera angles.

Velvet Ant

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Fuzzy Red and Black ant looking thing
Location:  North East Arkansas, United States
September 3, 2010 3:22 pm
Hi. I just found this little horror running around on my kitchen floor. I trapped him under a little plastic container and as soon as I did it started hissing at me! I could hear it from two feet away! Now when I hold the container to my ear (with a lid on of course) it’s constantly making this strange high pitched ’khtkhtkhtkht’ noise. It looks VERY mean. It’s roughly a half an inch long and maybe a little more than a quarter of an inch wide. Red and black striped, very mean looking.
Found in:  North Eastern Arkansas
3:15pm
Signature:  Jesse

Cow Killer

Hi Jesse,
This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp in the family Mutillidae.  It is a Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis, and it has earned its common name because the sting is reported to be extremely painful, so those warning colors are well earned.  Our favorite part of your letter is your description of the noises made by your Cow Killer.  The are able to make noise by stridulation or rubbing body parts together.

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Flightless Bee and large Velvet Ant?
Location:  Sonoran Desert, Arizona
August 5, 2010 4:06 pm
I was camping in the Arizona Wilderness, just off of US93 on Wilderness Access Road 7469, when something bright red caught my eye on the ground. I stopped the Jeep and jumped out with my camera. I had no idea what it was, and trying to take a photo was comical, as it was scurrying about, non-stop! It looks like a bee with no wings, but it was the bright red bottom that amazed me. It is about 1 1/4” in length and has six legs. I have never seen anything like it. What is it?
BJ Roberts

Velvet Ant

Hi BJ,
Based on photos posted to BugGuide, your Velvet Ant may be Dasymutilla nogalensis.

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Velvet Ant in Sonoma County?
Location:  Sonoma Mountan Range, California
July 31, 2010 3:07 pm
Hi, I found this fuzzy ant-like insect in a grassy meadow in jack london state park. Earlier this summer I saw one on the same mountain range a little north in Santa Rosa, also on open meadow. What is it? Looks like a ”velevet ant” but do you know the species? The camera was on a weird setting, so the light is a little orange, but I tried to adjust it to be more accurate
Mollyanne Meyn

Velvet Ant

Hi Mollyanne,
You are correct that this is a Velvet Ant.  We tried to color correct your image.  It appears that your specimen might be in the genus Pseudomethoca which is represented on BugGuide.  We would greatly welcome any input from experts in the family Mutillidae to assist in a proper species identification.

Thanks Daniel, from other  on the site, it looks most like anthracina to me. I love this website and service. many thanks for the response.

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Timulla Grotei? Velvet Ant of some type?
Location:  Seminole, Oklahoma
July 24, 2010 6:00 pm
I think I’ve identified this properly! I found this little lady (?) on some leaves in central Oklahoma (Seminole). It was about 1/2-3/4” long and a little hairy. Love your site!
Amy Goodman

Velvet Ant

Hi Amy,
You did an excellent job of identifying your Velvet Ant, though we would caution taking the identification to the species level.  We looked at the specimens of Timulla grotei posted to BugGuide, and though they look similar to your specimen, the abdominal markings seem different.  There are many similar looking species in the genus Timulla posted to BugGuide.  One image in particular, also from Oklahoma, is only identified to the genus level, and that image more closely resembles your gal, though the legs are differently colored.  YOur photos are excellent and perhaps an expert in Velvet Ants will be able to provide a species identification.

Velvet Ant

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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.

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Ant/Wasp/Fly hybrid in Baja
June 5, 2010
We got invaded by these bugs a couple weeks ago. They were crazy and pesky keeping us up at night. They are reddish like an ant, with a striped abdomen like a wasp, a face like an ant and wings like a fly. Big beady eyes and I’m pretty sure they had pincher mouths. They also scream!!!! They’re relatively small, similar to a big flying ant.
Baja Bug Girl
San Felipe, Baja California

Male Velvet Ant

Dear Baja Bug Girl,
Though we are confident that this is a Flying Ant, we do not feel qualified to attempt a species identification.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide that information.

Correction
June 7, 2010
We received a comment that this is a male Velvet Ant, a species of Wasp, and not an ant as we originally suspected.

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