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.

The email from Trip Lamb, biology professor at Eastern Carolina University, said, “As a velvet ant sting survivor, you may appreciate the attached.” The attachment was a scientific paper titled ...

Wasps aren’t normally admired for their looks, but one species—Traumatomutilla bifurca, a Brazilian velvet ant—is unlike any other. It has ultra-dark markings that reflect less than 1 ...

This Brazilian Velvet Ant Is So Dark That It’s Ultrablack Scientists found that the dark markings on a species of fluffy wasp reflected less than 1 percent of light. Share full article ...

A velvet ant bite like “hot oil from the deep fryer” delivers an array of peptides that inflicts pain on insects and mammals alike.

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 ...