The Velvet ant reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Velvet ant

Mutillidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Neoptera Superorder: Endopterygota Order: Hymenoptera Suborder: Apocrita Superfamily Vespoidea Family: Mutillidae

Mutillidae or velvet ants, also known as cow killers, are not actually ants, but a type of wasp. They get their name from the hair that grows on their back. The hair ranges from red and black to completely white. Their shell is very tough, providing protection against wasp and bee stings. The males have wings, but the females are completely wingless.

They are generally accepted as being the American insect that provides the most painful sting. It is said (wrongly) that their venom is powerful enough to kill a cow, hence their name, "cow killers."

The earliest-known velvet ants come from 25-40 million year old amber from the Dominican Republic.

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