The fuzzy 'ant' that is really a wasp nicknamed the cow killer
This fuzzy 'ant' is really a wingless wasp with a sting nicknamed the cow killer.
Which one is REALLY true about the Velvet Ant?
The short version
The velvet ant isn't an ant at all — it's a wingless female wasp whose sting is so ferocious it earned the nickname 'cow killer,' with burning pain lasting over half an hour. Its exoskeleton is armored enough to resist a collector's pin, it squeaks a warning when threatened, and it parasitizes the nests of other bees and wasps.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Velvet Ant is not an ant at all, but a wingless female wasp.
- ✓The Velvet Ant has a sting so ferocious that people nicknamed it the cow killer.
- ✓The Velvet Ant is armoured with an so tough that collectors struggle to push a pin through it.
- ✓The Velvet Ant squeaks a warning chirp by rubbing parts of its body together when something gets too close.
- ✓The Velvet Ant hunts down the nests of other bees and wasps to lay its eggs on their young.
You could line up about 61 of them along a 7-year-old!
The full story
This fuzzy little creature looks like a walking ball of velvet, but it is one of the most painful insects you could ever touch. Meet the velvet ant, which is not an ant at all. It is a wingless female wasp, and her sting is so ferocious that people nicknamed her the cow killer. The pain is described as burning and relentless, often lasting more than half an hour. She is also armoured like a tank, with an exoskeleton so tough that collectors struggle to push a pin through her, and predators often just give up entirely. If you get too close, she squeaks, rubbing parts of her body together to make a warning chirp. Despite that fearsome reputation, she is not aggressive at all, and will only sting if you actually grab her. She spends her life hunting the nests of other bees and wasps to lay eggs on their young. Follow for more weird animal facts.
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“The Velvet Ant is not an ant at all, but a wingless female wasp.”
“The Velvet Ant hunts by firing two jets of sticky slime from nozzles beside its mouth.”
“The Velvet Ant has a sting so ferocious that people nicknamed it the cow killer.”