The Red Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) is a parasitoid wasp species that is native to the eastern United States. The species is commonly mistaken for an ant due to their appearance and common name. Adult Red Velvet Ants display aposematic coloration with a black overall coloring with an orange-red pattern on the dorsal surface of the thorax and abdomen. Their bodies are covered in a dense, velvet-like hair. The species earned the nickname ”cow killer” for their extremely painful sting, and other defense mechanisms include the ability to run fast and evasively, warning coloration, warning sounds, a chemical secretion, and venom.
The Red Velvet Ant has an overall body length between .59”-.98” (15-25 mm), body width of .18”-.31” (4.5-8 mm), and body height of .16”-.26” (4-6.7 mm). The typical lifespan of the Red Velvet Ant is around 1 year.
The Red Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) is a parasitoid wasp species that is native to the eastern United States. The species is commonly mistaken for an ant due to their appearance and common name. Adult Red Velvet Ants display aposematic coloration with a black overall coloring with an orange-red pattern on the dorsal surface of the thorax and abdomen. Their bodies are covered in a dense, velvet-like hair. The species earned the nickname ”cow killer” for their extremely painful sting, and other defense mechanisms include the ability to run fast and evasively, warning coloration, warning sounds, a chemical secretion, and venom.
The Red Velvet Ant has an overall body length between .59”-.98” (15-25 mm), body width of .18”-.31” (4.5-8 mm), and body height of .16”-.26” (4-6.7 mm). The typical lifespan of the Red Velvet Ant is around 1 year.