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Velvet Ant

Dasymutilla occidentalis

Photo by joanbstanley
Published on Project Noah
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33.0852, -97.0687

Field Notes

Description:

Velvet ants females are wingless, ant-like and often covered with a velvety “fur.

Habitat:

Sandy bank in development greenbelt.

Notes:

Velvet ants are solitary wasps. Females spend much time in sandy areas searching for hosts and may be encountered at close range by adults and children. The females are capable of stinging repeatedly. The stinger is long, and the sting is reportedly quite painful--perhaps the reason that the large common species is called the "cow killer".

Reference Links:

Dasymutilla occidentalis

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PublishedAugust 4, 2014

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