Male Red Velvet Ant
My photo for the ‘2015 WP Weekly Photo Challenge – Vivid’ is a female cow-killer or red velvet ant. In the post I mentioned that they’re actually wasps. The female is a wingless wasp and has a painful sting.
The male looks similar to the female only with black wings and the males doesn’t sting.
The male in the photo is the first one that I’ve had the opportunity to photograph. He’s a smidge smaller than the female and quite fast with his wings.
*You can read more about red velvet ants at Orkin’s website:
http://www.orkin.com/ants/cow-killer-ant/
Joys Of Creating 
I would stay far away from any insect with the word “killer” in their name 🙂
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Lol Laura,
I’d say that’s a good rule to live by. 😉
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Great photo!
Hey, E.C., have you heard of my writing challenge? More details here:
https://sosugarsweet.wordpress.com/2016/06/12/introducing/
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Hello Rutvi
I checked out your link on your writing challenge. It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun for you all. I wish you much success. 🙂
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Thank you. 🙂
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🙂
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Wonderful picture – I don’t think that I’d be as brave as you when it comes to photographing this insect. I won’t want to mess with any bug called a cow-killer. 🙂
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Thanks Sheryl
It’s amazing how brave a zoom lens makes one look. lol
Not messing with a any bug called a cow-killer is a good rule to live by. 🙂
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Don’t want to run into one of those!
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I agree Patti
I’m thankful for my zoom lens so I do have to get too close. 🙂
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Yes! We are so brave with our super Zoom Power.
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You betcha Patti
It’s one of my favorite things about my digital camera. 🙂
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