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White Velvet Ant

Dasymutilla sackenii

Description:

White, female, wingless wasp with black legs, underside and antennae.

Habitat:

Chaparral

Notes:

"Velvet Ant" refers to the hairy nature and the body form like that of ants. Females wingless, very hairy, and may look like large ants but have no node (bump) on "waist" between abdomen and thorax (ants have one or two). Males winged, less hairy, look more like typical wasps, larger than females." - BugGuide

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13 Comments

dailyfortnitebudds
dailyfortnitebudds 4 years ago

I got bit and stung :(

Thank you! Leanne, it's actually a wingless wasp with a misleading common name.

LaurenZarate
LaurenZarate 10 years ago

Great series! Well done, love this!

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 10 years ago

Oh wow! Really? That is an ant?? How beautiful Cindy :)

Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander 10 years ago

Cute fluffy ant!

Maria dB
Maria dB 10 years ago

Wonderful series, Cindy!

Thank you Noel and Karen! I was surprised to find two species of wingless wasp on a short hike. They're solitary and were spread out about a quarter mile from each other. I saw a total of 4 :)

KarenL
KarenL 10 years ago

Great series Cindy!

Noel Buensuceso
Noel Buensuceso 10 years ago

White this time... lovely series Cindy!

Thank you Ismael!

Ismael Chaves
Ismael Chaves 10 years ago

Superb series

Thank you Reza :)

Reza Hashemizadeh
Reza Hashemizadeh 10 years ago

Stunning !

Escondido, California, USA

Spotted on May 18, 2013
Submitted on May 19, 2013

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