Identity Crisis~ Male Red Velvet Ant AKA Cow Killer (Dasymutilla occidentalis)

Imagine how this parasitoid wasp must feel, going through life labeled as an ant…and a killer of cows, neither of which is accurate!

I certainly got an education about Red Velvet Ants after my first encounter with this male yesterday…I’ve seen the wingless females scurrying along the ground all my life…and based on the name, just assumed it was an super sized ant!

I’d never been able to photograph one, as they are extremely fast movers…but here was one with wings, looking all wasp-like! That certainly confused me, until I found out that the males have wings…and don’t sting, although the female’s sting is said to be the most painful insect sting on earth! They don’t actually kill cows, but can inflect terrible pain to anything that comes in contact!

I’d consider this a ‘lifer’ since I’d never seen a winged male, and finding it certainly brought me up to speed on this amazing wasp!

Personal note: I embrace the Red Velvet Ant name, as it brings back yummy memories of the red velvet cake my Mom would bake…with icing that had crushed peppermint candy cane bits in it…so good! 😊