I just saw this giant red and black ant in my garden. It almost didn’t look real. Are they dangerous? BH

I’m pretty sure you are referring to an insect known as the red velvet ant aka Dasymutilla occidentalis. In spite of its name, the red velvet ant is not an ant at all but a wasp. The red velvet ant is also known by the name “cow killer” but they are not capable of killing a cow. It’s likely they got this name because their sting can be quite painful.

Believe it or not, there is a scale for ranking the pain associated with various insect stings called the Schmidt’s sting pain index. On this ranking, the red velvet ant ranks 3 out of 4 with 4 being the most painful. To provide a little perspective on this scale, the average sting of a wasp or bee ranks at level 2. The females are the ones capable of stinging since their ovipositor does double duty as a stinger.

Red velvet ants are pretty easy to identify due to their large size and striking coloring. Mature red velvet ants grow to about 3/4 of an inch in length and are covered in a dense velvety hair with patterns of black and orange. It’s typically the female that we notice since they are wingless and can be seen crawling on the ground in open spaces or on a plant. These wingless females resemble large ants which is likely how they got their name. Males are less likely to be noticed since they have wings and move from flower to flower in search of nectar.

These insects have another interesting property in that they can produce a squeaking sound when disturbed. This sound is produced by rubbing parts of their abdominal segments together. The sound along with its bright colors combine to send one message - leave me alone.

Velvet ants fit into the category of parasitic insects because they use other host insects to feed their young. For this purpose, they are partial to ground-nesting bees. The female velvet ant will find and dig into the nesting chambers of ground-nesting bees. Eggs are deposited on the host larvae. After hatching, the larvae of the velvet ant dines on the host larvae as they develop through several growth stages before pupating. The host insect dies. Adult velvet ants feed on nectar from flowers.

Velvet ants are rarely found in concentrations that would cause us concern for livestock, pets, or people… except for that sting of course. Even though they are not aggressive, do not attempt to handle them for obvious reasons.

Since these insects don’t pose a threat, the best strategy is to just leave them alone. If you are concerned about their presence, you can always round them up in a jar and relocate them. Good luck.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

Photo: Photo - Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org