OAKLEY, Md. (WHTM) — It certainly looks like an ant, doesn’t it? In fact, the red velvet ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) isn’t an ant at all, but a wasp. At around 3/4 of an inch long, it’s the largest ...

The viral Facebook post combines two common names for this insect. Old images purportedly showing a "velvet cowkiller" ant received renewed attention in April 2018: These images, as well as a near ...

No, that giant red ant you just saw was not a fire ant; it is called a velvet ant. While it is not one of the most common insects to see here in Madison County, someone did bring a couple in the ...

The first thing to understand about velvet ants is that they are not, in fact, ants. They're wasps, some of which are wingless, and are named in part for their fluffy exteriors. About the size of a ...

This insect is not an ant, although it is always referred to as an ant. It looks like a large red and black hairy ant, but is really a wingless female wasp. It is a very nervous insect as it hurries ...

ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Is there something bugging you about this time of year? It seems as soon as cool air arrives, insects try to make themselves comfortable in your home. Good Morning Show viewer ...

At the foot of certain shrubs in the Mojave Desert, fluffy white motes skitter like tumbleweeds across the sand. Some are fruit: harmless, fuzzy orbs dropped by the creosote bush. Others are white ...

A female velvet ant searches for a bee nest to lay her eggs in. To see a larger image, click here. Photo by Jeff Mitton. A brilliant insect searched through the gravel of Cathedral Valley in Capitol ...