![]() ![]() ![]() In the early stages of life velvet ant wasps primarily feeds off of its host bee or cicada killer. Males have wings (transparent and black), but lack the stinger that females possess, and share only color similarities, not the hair. Females are emblazoned with a bright red or orange color with black stripes, and have “hair” covering their body. The females of this moderately sized wasp are wingless, and have the hourglass shape of an ant. Velvet ant wasps are most commonly witnessed in the late summer months when it is hottest. Beyond that point, these non-colony wasps can be seen in open sandy or muddy areas, often searching for nectar. The majority of the life cycle of a velvet ant is spent underground developing parasitically. Their presence is rarely detected and, although the males can fly, the females are more often seen typically fleeing human contact. Because of this parasitic relationship, and the velvet ant wasp’s tendency to search out below ground hosts, they are of little concern to most homeowners. The egg then develops, using the larvae as a host, eventually the partially developed velvet ant emerges, consumes the host, then cocoons itself within its pupal case. Instead it searches out the ground nests of bees or cicada killers, infiltrates it, and lays its eggs in the existing larvae. Unlike other species of wasps, velvet ant wasp do not create its own nest. Velvet ants are normally non-aggressive, but extreme care should be used around females, as their stings are painful and they will sting as a last-resort defense mechanism. Velvet ants are not particularly common, but can be found all throughout the United States. A female velvet ant’s sting is used as a last resort for defense, and can be very painful, but is not venomous. These bright-red insects with black stripes are also commonly referred to as the “cow killer ants” because of the myth that their sting is “so powerful it could kill a cow.” Despite this reputation, velvet ants are not particularly aggressive, and instead will flee from the sight of danger or humans. It is actually a wasp, despite its outward appearance of an ant. The velvet ant wasp, contrary to what many believe, is not an ant.
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