Aquarium of the Pacific | Online Learning Center | Cowkiller Velvet Ant

Land

| Insects |

Cowkiller Velvet Ant

Dasymutilla occidentalis

 |   Conservation Status:  Safe for Now

  • 1

#1

  • © A. Reitsma, Aquarium of the Pacific

Velvet ants are definitely different! While they do appear to be velvety, they are wasps, not ants. Males can fly. Females are flightless because they do not have wings. Females can sting: males cannot. As for the cowkiller common name of this species, their sting is not potent enough to kill a cow; however, humans stung by this velvet ant experience such intense pain that they believe the sting could kill a cow.

Facts and FeaturesFull Description >>

Geographic Distribution

Eastern US: New York to Florida. Western US: to Missouri, Texas, and Arizona

Amazing Facts

California has about 100 species of velvet ants, most of which are nocturnal and live in the desert.

At the Aquarium

The habitat for our velvet ants is in the Tropical Pacific Gallery.