I saw the first of these large, furry and very attractive insects last week here on my Oklahoma lawn. This is only the second one I've seen. They are furry, and look like an ant on steroids, though appear to have no mandibles, 6-legged and are about 1/2" long. Any idea what this might be?
not my quote,
"it's a wasp, not an ant
Common Name: Red velvet ant or "cow killer"
Scientific Name: Dasymutilla occidentalis (Linnaeus)
Order: Hymenoptera
Description: These insects are wasps, not ants. Females are wingless and covered with dense hair, superficially resembling ants. The red velvet-ant is the largest velvet-ant species, reaching about 3/4 inch in length. They are black overall with patches of dense orange-red hair on the thorax and abdomen. Males are similar but have wings and can not sting."
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef442.asp
