Comments for
Large orange and black ant (Velvet Ant)

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NOT an ant
by: Dave Andrews

This is not an ant. It is a cow killer wasp. They are wingless and predate on other wasps. They're called cow killers because they have a very nasty, painful sting (but it doesn't really kill).
velvet ant
by: Moni

Jackson, MS
These insects are seen during summer and early fall. Velvet ants are not aggressive and will try to escape from you. Velvet ants do not cause damage and no chemical controls are need. Velvet ants should be left alone, but if control is desired, make sure you have on a heavy-soled shoe before stepping on the insect!

Great time for a few class lessons to educate the preschoolers about insects! There are some you can pick up and some you can't. This is one that you do not pick up. And they should ask an adult before picking up any insect since some can sting, leave a rash on the skin or bite.

You can ck the playground before sending the kids out to play also.
Jackcson,MS
by: Anonymous

I 've seen this insect at the preschool where I work. How do you kill them? Some of the children have severe medical problems and I'd hate for any of them to get stung.
velvet ant
by: Anonymous

Just saw two of these in my garden. Never seen these in my life. It freaked me out a bit since I just moved to Georgia from Florida and thought this was a invasion from outer space!
they also sing!
by: Anonymous

I found one of these scurrying along on my driveway - it's beautiful irridescent orange in the sun - very captivating. I caught it in a clear plastic cup and was looking at it when I heard a high pitched sonar sound, quite loud. I looked around to see what and where the sound was coming from. Suddenly realized it was coming from the beautiful creature in the glass. I took some photos of it and let it go and it scurried off not making any more noise. Really quite an eerie sound, but so interesting. The insect looked to be quite frantic - no way was I going to touch it, but I let it go, as it should be - free.
My 3 year old got bitten!
by: B Smith

I live in South Mississippi and up until last week I hadn't seen one of these ants since I was a little girl. Last week we were outside playing with the children and I heard a blood wrenching scream from my 3 year old. He had been bitten by one of these and his entire finger was red and swollen from the tip where he was bitten to the nuckle joining his hand. It broke my heart!
Very, Very Large orange ant
by: Anonymous

I just killed, after jumping on it four times because it kept moving, an ant with segments as large as small jelly beans. I was totally freaked out because it had a black head and a huge, two segment, body which was bright orange. I have never seen anything like it in my 61 years on earth!
Southern Illinois
by: didthat1x

Concur with the "hard to kill". It was crawling across the deck carpet by the pool. We were warned about the painful "stings". Does the pain come from formic acid on their pincers?
velvet ant
by: Anonymous

i cut the back end of one of these ants off an picked up the front halve an it was the most horrifying pain i think i ever had just from the hair on its leg it felt like getting hit by 220 elect volt my thumb an wrist hurt so bad for 30 mins. my advise stay away even if there dead
Thanks
by: Anonymous

I've seen two of these since moving to North Carolina. They are horrifying! I wondered what they were- so glad to know. Thanks for the info.

Sara
Velvet Ant
by: Anonymous

These ants really are hard to kill! It takes a lot of squishing to kill them. There are some here in South Carolina.
In North Georgia
by: Anonymous

We just found one around large rocks that make up our raised bed garden. She is really cool looking but her pinchers look TERRIBLE! We fed her some sugar water and she went crazy for it! I think we might keep her for a while to watch her.
Velvet Ants
by: Moni

Anonymous
Most insects live a short period of time. The adult lays its eggs then usually die. Therefore, my guess is this insect - if you have one like the photo - it is a female has either laid its eggs and it is ready to die or it needs to find the bumble bee nest to lay eggs in, so it can complete its life cycle. It will probably not live long. The adult males are known to feed on nectar...did not read what the females eat if they do at all.

Either way, since this insect can inflict a painful bite I would not think it a very good "pet". Please be careful.
Here is some information about it from Texas A&M Univ.
http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg344.html
Velvet ant
by: Anonymous

I just found one in our back yard in the city of Houston, Tx. I guess they live down here too. This creature has a most unusuall behavior, it sleeps most of the time and it's only seems to be awaken by the warm air outside. Right now it lives in a small acquarium in my kitchen. I am trying to study its behavior. So far I've noticed that it sleeps a lot. Does any one knows anything about this creature and how long does it lives in captivity?
Velvet Ant
by: Moni

Margie
Your photo is of a female velvet ant also called cow killer. Males have black wings while females are wingless. This is actually a wasp. It got it's name because it was said that the sting from the female hurt so bad it would kill a cow. They are shades of yellow and brown or red and black.
They are found in meadows, old fields, and edges of forests especially those with sandy soil.

Adult velvet ants feed on nectar and water. The larva are parasites of bumble bees. The female velvet ant searches for bumble bee nests, digs down and deposits one egg near the brood chamber. Velvet ant larva enter the bumble bee brood chamber, kills those larvae by feeding on them. Larvae pupate in the bumble bee chamber.

Females have a very painful sting if handled.
Velvet ants are not aggressive and will try to escape when encountered.
.
by: Eric

I've seen these in Georgia. I always wondered what they were.

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