Have you ever noticed a large, fuzzy, brightly-colored ant moving rapidly along the ground? Commonly called velvet ants, these aren’t ants at all. They’re actually wingless wasps. They’re most common and diverse in dry habitats, with more than 100 species in Arizona alone.
Velvet ants are often bright red, but can come in black, white, brown or gold. The coloration is a warning —these wingless wasps can deliver a sting painful enough to earn them the nickname “cow killers.” Their stings aren’t actually lethal and they aren’t aggressive; they will scurry away if they notice you.
Only female velvet ants sting and only females are wingless. Why wingless? Because of their means of reproduction. Velvet ants are parasitic. The wingless females wander in search of ground-nesting bees or wasps. When they find a nest, they burrow in and lay eggs in the wasp or bee larvae. Upon hatching, the velvet ant larvae feed on and ultimately kill the host larvae.
Female velvet ants need to hunt in tight spaces, on rocky ground and under vegetation, where wings would be a hindrance. For burrowing, wings would only be in the way. Also, by abandoning flight, energy can be redirected from flight muscles to rapidly and continuously hunting on the ground.
During warm months, you may encounter one of these beautiful insects on the hunt. If so, admire this velvet ant from a distance. She won’t bother you, and you definitely don’t want to bother her!
This episode of Earth Notes is brought to you in part by Pink Jeep Tours; written by Steve Schwartz and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
