Red Velvet Ant (Cow Killer)

Dry, sandy soil areas, open fields, meadows, pastures, and deserts in North America

Adults feed on flower nectar and water; larvae are ectoparasitoids that feed on the larvae and pupae of ground-nesting bees and wasps.

Despite the name, velvet ants are wingless females of a species of solitary wasp. Females are active during the day, crawling rapidly along open ground in search of ground-nesting bee or wasp nests to lay eggs. They possess a tough exoskeleton and produce a squeaking sound (stridulation) as an audible warning when threatened.

Risks: Females possess a extremely painful sting used strictly in self-defense, though they are non-aggressive toward humans and pets unless stepped on or grasped. Benefits: Helps regulate populations of ground-nesting bees and wasps in natural ecosystems.