Eastern Velvet Ant, aka Cow Killer, spotted in Adair
2022-09-07 - Adair Co., KY - Photo by Marie Freeman
Marie writes, "On my front porch. It's a cow killer, it is a female so it will definitely sting."
The Eastern Velvet Ant - also known as the Cow Killer - is not an ant at all, though the female looks and walks like one. The Cow Killer is actually a type of wasp and the wingless female has a ferocious sting that is rumored to be strong enough to kill cattle. For humans, the sting is extremely painful and this insect should not be handled. Males do have wings and look more like a typical wasp despite some hairs on their body. The Cow Killer is a solitary wasp, more likely to be seen alone than in nests with hundreds of others. --https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Cow-Killer Comments | Permalink
2022-09-07 - Adair Co., KY - Photo by Marie Freeman
Marie writes, "On my front porch. It's a cow killer, it is a female so it will definitely sting."
The Eastern Velvet Ant - also known as the Cow Killer - is not an ant at all, though the female looks and walks like one. The Cow Killer is actually a type of wasp and the wingless female has a ferocious sting that is rumored to be strong enough to kill cattle. For humans, the sting is extremely painful and this insect should not be handled. Males do have wings and look more like a typical wasp despite some hairs on their body. The Cow Killer is a solitary wasp, more likely to be seen alone than in nests with hundreds of others. --https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Cow-Killer Comments | Permalink