#sackens velvet ant

[onenicebugperday]

@from-rain-to-rainbow submitted: Could you please ID this fluffy little friend? She's so cute

Tijuana, Baja California, México

I can! She's a female velvet ant, which is a type of wasp. Females are wingless, but their sting is VERY painful, so don't handle them with your bare hands unless you want to hate your life. This one in particular looks like Sacken's velvet ant, Dasymutilla sackenii. :)

[canisvesperus]

Yo, do you watch ants Canada? I feel like with your interest in spiders, Ant colonies might be cool to you too! Also the person who runs it has a greenbottle blue tarantula named Azula that's so pretty omg. Idk what you might need warnings for, so I'll say there's some decernable meat products, given the carnivorous nature of some of the colonies, so if you need more info to check it out just hmu! I watch a lot of them

Yeah, I’ve seen a few of their videos! My interest in hobbyist keeping has waned for various reasons, but I still certainly love the animals. Ants are cool, though (controversial stance) I kind of prefer wasps. Here’s a little Dasymutilla sackenii velvet ant (actually a wasp, though wasps and ants are closely related) I found two weeks ago at the stables.

[onenicebugperday]

Sacken’s Velvet Ant, Dasymutilla sackenii, Mutillidae

Sacken’s velvet ant is not an ant, but a type of wasp. Females are wingless and resemble large, fuzzy ants; males look similar but have wings (photos 9-10). Velvet ants are known for their extremely painful sting, so it’s wise to avoid handling them with bare skin (as in photo above). This species is found mainly in California, but its range extends down into Baja.

Photo 1 by kueda, 2-3 by dlbowls, 4 by condylura, 5 by micrathene, 6 by kerry_ross, 7-8 by tempetoon, and 9-10 by edwardrooks