Cow killer

Cow killers, or Mutillidae, are a family of wasps. The wingless females of this species look like hairy ants. They are called velvet ants because of their dense pile of hair. The hair is usually bright red or orange.

Dasymutilla occidentalis

They are known for their very painful stings. Because of the stings, they are called "cow killer" or "cow ant".

Mutillidae live all over the world. There are over 8,000 species.[1]

References
  1. "Cow Killer". University of Florida Institute of Food. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.