The viral Facebook post combines two common names for this insect. Old images purportedly showing a "velvet cowkiller" ant received renewed attention in April 2018: These images, as well as a near ...

OAKLEY, Md. (WHTM) — It certainly looks like an ant, doesn’t it? In fact, the red velvet ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) isn’t an ant at all, but a wasp. At around 3/4 of an inch long, it’s the largest ...

“I just saw this giant red and black ant in my garden. It almost didn’t look real. Are they dangerous?” — B.H. I’m pretty sure you are referring to an insect known as the red velvet ant aka ...

When you see a red velvet ant, the first thing you will probably ask yourself is “what the heck is that thing?” It kind of looks like a giant ant, but it also looks like a wingless wasp. They are ...

No, that giant red ant you just saw was not a fire ant; it is called a velvet ant. While it is not one of the most common insects to see here in Madison County, someone did bring a couple in the ...

Question: A very large orange striped ant walked through my daughter’s sand box. Is this something we should be worried about? Answer: As long as you just watch this insect you are fine. It is called ...

What’s red and black and fuzzy all over? A velvet ant. But don’t be fooled by its allure or name. It’s actually a wasp, and the ladies pack a wallop of a sting. Two weeks ago, a velvet ant – or ...

At the foot of certain shrubs in the Mojave Desert, fluffy white motes skitter like tumbleweeds across the sand. Some are fruit: harmless, fuzzy orbs dropped by the creosote bush. Others are white ...