Velvet Ant

Scientific name: Dasymutilla occidentalis (Linnaeus)
(Hymenoptera: Mutillidae)

Facts: Velvet ants get their name from the appearance of the females, which look like densely hairy ants. They are actually wingless wasps, not true ants. Most velvet ants are black and red. The females are very capable stingers and should be handled with care. Some sting so painfully that they are referred to as "cow killers."

Photo credit: Bastiaan (Bart) Drees, Extension Entomology, Texas A&M University