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Project Noah Nature School
Partially orange ant with red and white anterior. Appears to be of the family Mutillidae (Velvet Ants), but I have never seen a velvet ant with this particular color pattern before, and have not been able to locate any like it online ... so have been unable to determine a specific scientific name.
Gravel trail in wooded farmland.
The velvet ants aren't ants at all but are solitary wasps. The females are wingless and the males are fully flighted. Like most female wasps, these girls pack a stinger which is retractable and can be moved in many directions. I don't know from firsthand experience, but they say the sting packs quite a punch, so never pick one up with your bare hands.
Spotted on Sep 28, 2013
Submitted on Sep 28, 2013
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