Velvet Ant

What is this bug?
I found a wasp-like insect with fuzzy red bottom and black everywhere else. What is this bug? I live in Southern California.
Joelle

Hi Joelle,
This is a Velvet Ant, actually a flightless female wasp. We have several species in Southern California, and this looks like it might be Dasymutilla coccinea.

Update: (04/02/2008) ID for insects
Hey, my name is Will, this is a list of the ID’s for the velvet ant page. 21. is most likely pseudomethoca anthracina. hope this helps a bit.

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