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| Female Red Velvet Ant |
The Mutillidae are a family of wasps whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Their common
name velvet ant refers to their
dense pile of hair which most often is bright scarlet or orange, but may also
be black, white, silver, or gold. Black and white specimens are sometimes known
as panda
ants due to their hair colour resembling that of the
Chinese giant panda. Male velvet ants are not
aggressive and will try to escape when encountered, but females have a very
painful sting if handled.
