Traumatomutilla bifurca, a velvet ant — which is actually a wasp — known for its distinct black and white markings, found in a dry shrub desert in Brazil called the Caatinga. piemags/nature ...

A velvet ant sting is like “hot oil spilling over your hand” – now, scientists have identified molecules in its venom that let it deliver excruciating pain to a variety of other animals ...

The wasp species known as the "velvet ant" has a pattern of white and ultra-black coloration.© shrike2 via iNaturalist under CC BY-NC 4.0 ...

The defense system of the velvet ant makes this wasp parasits nearly indestructible.

An ant that disappears into the forest floor, a bird that demands attention from mates—for these animals, an inky black exterior is an evolutionary advantage.

It has ultra-dark markings that reflect less than 1 percent of visible light. There are about 8000 velvet ant species in the wasp family Mutillidae, named after their resemblance to large hairy ants.

By James WoodfordThe sting of a female velvet ant is one of the most painful in the animal kingdom. Now, researchers have discovered that these insects have multiple proteins in their venom that make ...

Meet the Brazilian Velvet Ant, a Rare ‘Ultra-Black’ Wasp That’s So Dark It Absorbs Almost All Visible Light While the distinctive coloration is thought to be a warning to predators, it also ...