Red Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis: Mutillidae) Female. Also known as Cow Killer because the sting is so bad it must be able to kill a cow. Not quite that painful or strong but the individuals that have been stung by one might argue (lol). Like most wasps and bees only the female stings. The Velvet ants (Mutillidae) gets its name from the female. The female wasp is wingless and very hairy and looks like a huge ant. The male is always a typical looking wasp. Their bright colors are aposematic (warning colors to potential predators). The species is 1.5-1.8 (-2.5 cm) [0.59-0.71 (-1.0) in] long. Camelot Park, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Females are the sex that is most often photographed for several reasons. Primarily, she is brightly colored and scurries over the ground and catches your eye.
