Velvet ants have the Swiss Army knife of venoms A velvet ant bite like “hot oil from the deep fryer” delivers an array of peptides that inflicts pain on insects and mammals alike.

"Few creatures can tangle with a velvet ant and walk away unscathed. These ground-dwelling insects are not ants, but parasitic wasps known for their excruciating stings. They are among the most well-defended insects."
🐜🐝🦟 #VelvetAnts #DefenseMechanisms #Biology #Wildlife #Nature #AmazingCritters

Cara... Vale muito a pena estar viva!

Hoje fui agraciada pela passagem dessa lindeza grandona!

Apesar do nome popular (formiga-feiticeira), trata-se de uma vespa da família Mutillidae

#bugs #wasps #velvetAnts

Red Velvet ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis), a.k.a. cow killer ant, is actually a wasp. The female is wingless with very painful stings (no they don't kill cows). This a winged male which are stingless. #wasps #floridawildlife #photography #insects #wildlife #velvetants #cowkillerant #floridainsects

Sting by Velvet Ant The sting of velvet ants is the most painful in the animal kingdom. The researcher found venom of velvet ant contains various proteins that makes it effective against many of its predators.

Sting by Velvet Ant

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#ant #ants #velvetant #velvetants #peptides #DanTracy #JustinSchmidt #research #kentucky #indiana #painful #pain #venom #insects #science #mice #chinesemantis #neurons
#lydiaborjon

This Velvet Ant Provides New Insights Into Nature’s Ultrablack Secrets New research has found an insect species with markings that are so black that they’re ‘superblack’ or ‘ultrablack’, absorbing nearly all visible and ultraviolet light.

Fascinating! Velvet ants aren’t ants, they’re wasps. Female Brazilian velvet ants (Traumatomutilla bifurca) have ultra-black patches, and preliminary findings suggest their black-and-white pattern may also aid camouflage in certain environments.

#UltraBlack
#VelvetAnts
#Hymenoptera

Velvet Ants While some species are white, creamy, or black in color, most velvet ants are red or orange …a coloration that’s a warning.

#Montana #Ants #VelvetAnts Learn something new every day.

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