CLOSED: It has no wings! Wasp? Fly?

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azrobin Scottsdale, AZ(Zone 9b) Jul 12, 2008

Sure looks like a Bee or something to me. It's head is triangular. I've found a few in my yard last week gasping for their last breath on my cool decking.

There are 3 photos.

Thanks in advance!

Robin

Photo 1 of 3

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azrobin Scottsdale, AZ(Zone 9b) Jul 12, 2008

Photo 2 of 3

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azrobin Scottsdale, AZ(Zone 9b) Jul 12, 2008

Photo 3 of 3

I never saw a red "Bee" looking thing before.

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Jul 12, 2008

I think this is a Velvet Ant, in Hymenoptera.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=velvet%20ant&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Jul 12, 2008

This is a so-called 'velvet ant' (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). They actually are wasps; females, such as this one, are wingless, the males are winged (see http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/62285113). They are solitary, parasitic on other wasps and bees; larger species sometimes are known as ‘cow killers’ or ‘mule killers’ because of their very painful sting. This one likely is in the genus Dasymutilla - see http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/4663/

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azrobin Scottsdale, AZ(Zone 9b) Jul 18, 2008

Thanks SO much!!!! I was so stumped. I'll keep the links in my favorites.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Robin

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