Ant, fuzzy red with black stripe

first time seeing one in New Orleans La., but I have noticed a lot of black wasps with a little red spot on them that fly low to the ground,are they the males?

… ntate1, 14 September, 2013 - 2:07pm

ANT, FUZZY READ WITH BLACK STRIPE

MY GRANDSON AND I WERE FISHING AND SAW ONE OF THESE GOING ACROSS THE PAVEMENT. WE TRIED TO TAKE A PICTURE, BUT IT WAS SO FAST WE COULDN'T
HARDLY GET ONE. HE FINELY SNAPPED ONE WITH HIS PHONE, BUT IT WAS FUZZY DUE TO THE FACT THE THING WAS RUNNING ACROSS THE PAVEMENT SO FAST. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. HE STARTED TO PICK IT UP AND I TOLD HIM IT LOOKED LIKE IT MY BITE OR STING AND TO LEAVE IT ALONE. SITED AT FORT PATRICK HENRY DAM IN KINGSPORT, TN

… P DOUTHAT, 25 August, 2014 - 8:37am

black and red fuzzy

I have them all over my yard and I live in East Texas. She cannot fly but runs really fast. Males are red. My neighbor, who has lived here for most of his life, said they are female wasps. They take over other nests in the ground and lay their larvae. If they are not fertilized by a male, the larvae will be male. But if her eggs are fertilized by a male wasp, the larvae will be female.
That's all I know.

… kathy amelio, 6 September, 2013 - 11:11am

Today in Concord, NC

I was just working on my computer, at my desk next to our front door and felt something crawling on my bare thigh today (I have shorts on) knocked it off before completely looking but caught sight of the red color before it flew through the air... ran into the kitchen and got a paper towel and cleaning spray (with ammonia) that usually works to kill most insects in a pinch and found the bug... thinking it was some weird "killer" ant, due to it's coloring, I stopped to photograph it on my phone (it seemed scared & kept trying to hide under the paper towel, hard to photograph - definitely not aggressive) before we lost it for a bit and my spouse eventually found it and killed it. The bug in my picture looks identical to the second photo (same angle)... very fortunate and happy I was not stung. I have 3 children, ages 1 to 4... I hope no more of these get inside. Glad to learn that they can't actually kill you, per their name. I have since used my photos and photos online to educated my two older children. They like to play with bugs outside... I told them to tell an adult if they ever see one & to never touch it "because it would even make daddy cry if he touched it." Hope that works to keep them from getting stung - we are originally from New England...don't know yet how common they are around here...

… MM, 24 August, 2013 - 7:44pm

Found in Nashville, TN - 08 July 2013

this is the 2nd one of these I have seen in my yard - last year and yesterday... I don't care how pretty they are they need to stay away...

… Thurschild74, 9 July, 2013 - 12:49pm

Cow Killer (Dasymutilla occidentalis) Red Velvet Ant

I just saw one of these in Cookeville, TN. Wasn't sure what it was til I googled it. Glad it didn't sting me!

… mscody, 15 May, 2013 - 5:37pm

crow killer

these things are all over Austin Indiana. It kinda funny, ppl are flipping out when thy see them but they been here for ever it seems.I guess ppl just not pay any mind to the ground these days lol.

… chuckyman, 7 October, 2012 - 1:42pm

Red & Black Ant

Noticed a huge red and black ant bug in my back yard in Luray, VA. Looked it up online & its certainly a Giant Red & Black Ant - never seen one before!

… genaleigh, 25 August, 2012 - 5:33pm

Found at Work

My buddy found one of these climbing up his pants leg at work.. We are in Johnson City, TN

… tattd up, 1 August, 2012 - 1:08pm

just found one of these aroud

just found one of these aroud the pool. Have never dsen one before! (Elizabethton, TN)

… rl, 9 August, 2012 - 3:06pm

Sighting

Spotted this creature on July 28, 2012 @6:39PM in Memphis TN 38118.

… youbuggin, 31 July, 2012 - 1:29am

Sighting

Have footage on my Cellphone.

… youbuggin, 31 July, 2012 - 1:32am

I've seen several of these cr

I've seen several of these creatures out in my drive way and in the grass! I live in Owensboro, Kentucky and this is the first year I've ever seen them!! Crazy looking critters!

… AudraForler, 29 July, 2012 - 12:56pm

Red fuzzy ant

Just saw this in Northern Va. on the Oqugan river..was alone going very fast

… aconley, 23 July, 2012 - 5:14pm

one spotted in Omaha, Ne.

very fast little runner

… steveo, 20 July, 2012 - 5:27pm

red fuzzy ant bug

well today my mom got bit by one of these she said it was the worse pain ever it swelled she just put ice on it .. it made her really dizzy .. and double vision she she lives in louisanna but she is ok ..

… sarah roksos, 19 July, 2012 - 6:19pm

Velvet Ant in Kansas

Saw one female velvet ant yesterday (July 12, 2012) in Osage City, Kansas. She was walking around on the concrete and grass just outside of my garage.

… sulsch, 13 July, 2012 - 9:16am

red velvet wasp

seen one of these in my yard today. Mooreville, Ms

… bettyj, 24 September, 2011 - 6:53pm

Saw one this morning

I saw one of these this morning in Terry Hershey Park here in Houston, TX. It was beautiful, but I definitely don't want to pick one up! ;)

… Matt Steele, 6 September, 2011 - 10:56am

Saw one today in Lawrenceburg

Saw one today in Lawrenceburg, Indiana in our backyard. Saw one 2 weeks ago going down the alley downtown... didn't know what it was

… jaybird and tamy, 2 September, 2011 - 4:28pm

Red Velvet Ant

spotted one of these in Davidson NC.walking the trails.

… shelbdigb, 28 July, 2011 - 2:23am

two found in delawear

me and my girlfriends dad where out side smoking a cigg i was standing in the grass when he pointed and said what is that i turned around and there was one running thru the grass and then ten minuets later we found a second one

… juggalospooky85, 18 July, 2011 - 6:02pm

it's a wasp, not an ant

Common Name: Red velvet ant or "cow killer"
Scientific Name: Dasymutilla occidentalis (Linnaeus)
Order: Hymenoptera
Description: These insects are wasps, not ants. Females are wingless and covered with dense hair, superficially resembling ants. The red velvet-ant is the largest velvet-ant species, reaching about 3/4 inch in length. They are black overall with patches of dense orange-red hair on the thorax and abdomen. Males are similar but have wings and can not sting. http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg344.html

… fuzzmello, 18 July, 2011 - 9:46am

Jason East Texas

i just saw one of these. I wonder if it hurts worse than a horse ant if you get bit? hmmm not going to try but still its the "hmmm" that makes me wonder. The little guys were all by the lake coming out of this golf ball sized hole in the ground. I thought it was a locust nest.

… jasonstarnes28, 9 July, 2011 - 6:57pm

Fuzzy ant with red stripe

I had one of these creatures roaming around on my deck railing today. I have never seen one of these before, and was struck by how bright red it was with the black ring around its belly. My husband when in to find out what it was. I live here in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and when I read a little more about it, I thought what in the world is it doing here? Tried to take a picture of it, but it travels very fast.
But did manage to get one finally. Ahh the wonder of nature!!

… trouble_dee56, 12 July, 2010 - 10:25pm

BAD STING

I LIVE IN SPARTA KY JUST GOT STUNG VERY PAINFUL WORSE THAN WASP I LATER FOUND OUT THESE ARE A WASP THE FEMALES ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT STING AND THE MALES HAVE WINGS DO NOT PICK THESE UP

… kyndal0930, 2 August, 2012 - 7:21am

Could I Keep em?

OK so I was out today and caught maybe 8 of these in the horse feild are they gonna get along in one thing and what could I feed em or should I let em go.

… Swiss, 29 September, 2006 - 4:05pm

AHHHHHHHHHH Scared to death right now

OMG OMG OMG OMG. I just saw one of these "things" outside when i was walking my dog. What the heck is it?! is it dangerous?! thank you so much for any info. LOL Im in Atlanta GA

… Michelle C., 9 August, 2006 - 1:55pm

Ant, fuzzy red with black stripe - Dasymutilla occidentalis

Yikes! I captured one of these "velvet ants" while out at a camp in Alvin, TX. I did let it walk on me briefly, so I feel very fortunate that the red lady didn't sting me. She is hanging out in my bug box for now. I will add some photos of her soon.

… tunstall, 10 October, 2005 - 12:03am

Cow killer (Dasymutilla occidentalis)

Two more pictures, and of great quality, of this Velvet ant species in this Guide. One of the more distinctives, widespread in the East - despite its name. Not very common, but due to its size and very bright color, it's easily spotted. When running through meadows and gardens, these wingless insects are actually looking for Bumblebee nests, which are the hosts of their larvae. Although very painful, the sting of this wasp is not enough, of course, to kill a cow - but people always exagerate! Putting a coin aside was a good idea, by helping to assess the size.

… Richard Vernier, 15 August, 2005 - 4:43am

Hosts for the cow killer

Actually,from what I have heard, the hosts for Dasymutilla occidentalis are still pretty mysterious. While I was at the Cincinnati Zoo, we received pupae of the horse guard (Stictia carolina) that yielded several cow killers. Others suspect another host to be the cicada killer (Sphecius spheciosus). They certainly have a scattered distribution once you get north of Kentucky (I collected males across the river in Cincinnati, but never females:-)

… Eric R. Eaton, 15 August, 2005 - 3:07pm

Velvet Ant

This is some species of velvet ant (Family Mutillidae). It is actually a female wasp. The males have wings, but the females do not. The females can give a very nasty sting, so do not pick one up.

… Christopher C Wirth, 14 August, 2005 - 11:38am

Furry ant

I saw one of these in my yard today, I didn't have a clue what it was, ant, spider, and now I see it was a wasp.

… Arkiekat, 27 August, 2011 - 9:05pm