Velvet Ant by Leeco

Photography • Insects • posted on Aug 27, 2008

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Description

Nikon 7900 pocket camera, hand-held image. I tried and tried to get a shot of this little female wasp called a “Velvet Ant” but she would not slow down long enough for me to get the camera focused. Finally I took off one of my cotton socks and managed to get her to crawl onto it. She could not get up much speed as she struggled through the fiber jungle she found herself in, lol. This was the best shot I managed to get. Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Class Insecta (Insects) Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies) No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps) Superfamily Vespoidea Family Mutillidae (Velvet Ants) Subfamily Sphaeropthalminae Genus Sphaeropthalma Species pensylvanica (Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica) There are approximately 435 species of this wasp in North America, most in the Southwest. They range in size from 6-30 mm (this one was on the 6mm end) The females are wingless and very hairy, resembling large ants. Note lack of node (bump) on "waist" between abdomen and thorax. Ants have one or two nodes there. Males winged, less hairy, look more like typical wasps, larger than females. Adults (males at least) are observed taking nectar. They lay their eggs in or very near the brood chambers of solitary bees and other wasps. The Velvet Ant larvae eat the prey larvae. Sometimes reported to attack other groups as well, e.g., beetles, flies. Some velvet ants can give an excruciating sting if handled. We have one species in my area that is close to the 30mm size. We call them Cow Killers. I can attest to the “excruciating” part of the pain. It has been over 50 years since one got me, and I am still a bit apprehensive about getting too close to another one of those. Despite that, I have attempted to get a shot of several since I got my pocket camera but it has proven to be a very difficult task since they never stop moving (they move very fast) and I don’t get “TOO” close, lol. Thanks to those who take the time to comment. Lee

Comments (16)

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artaddict2

12:12AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

You can see from the fibres how tiny this ant is, I first thought you had given this the selective colour treatment lol. great detail to say you had so much difficulty in focussing Lee, I must say I have never seen anything like it! excellent detailed information as usual, thanks!

MrsLubner

12:26AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

This sure is interesting. An ant is an ant to me...OUCH! :-) I never knew they were wasps too! Double OUCH! :-) How very interesting the body texture is. Outstanding, Lee! I want to upload my "behavior" bee for you to see...perhaps tomorrow or maybe the day after. Maybe someone can figure out what the heck is going on with these bees.

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lizzibell

12:35AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

nice capture...

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skyla824

12:49AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

excellent macro work.... i love your ants... this one is great.. wonderful color and i like the back round textured cloth. it give it a nice contrast and scale to the photo..

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durleybeachbum

1:54AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

Clever idea to slow her down. It is a great shot, a good thing you weren't trying to get the 30mm one! She looks a bit like a cake decoration at first glance, probably the most inappropriate use one could devise!

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Mondwin

4:27AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

Magnificent macro!!!!!!!!!!!!!bravissimo!:DDD.Hugsxx Whylma

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praep

6:28AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

Great idea and wonderful macro. A friend of me gave me an advice: He uses coolant spray to get them slower... I found that a little bit barbarous - but he takes wonderful images ...

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flora-crassella

7:52AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

… is that a pretty “little animal”! A wonderful macro!!!!

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MrsRatbag

9:05AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

Ah, the things we do for our art, even disrobing as necessary....great thinking, and it seems to have worked, great shot!

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magg_ca

9:26AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

Great macro, sometimes you have to find the way to get a good shot

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JeffG7BRJ

11:12AM | Wed, 27 August 2008

I once asked somebody on another site how he managed to get such excellent macro's of bee's and wasp's, he told me he puts them in the freezer for a few minutes to slow them down. I can't say I agree with what he did but he said they suffered no ill effect and always flew away afterwards. Not something I would care to try though. Ants over an inch long don't bare thinking about Lee, I had a very uncomfortable experience with small ones as a child, my own fault I did sit on their ant hill. Not directly but on a large rock that was the entrance to it, and wearing short pants as well. Excellent capture, and a much better idea for slowing her down, although you can still see movement. Superb work. Bravo!!!!!

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