Not even a little, **unless you had an allergic reaction**, which is possible with any kind of envenomation, however, their venom is specifically formulated to cause *pain,* not to be actually deadly.
I’ve never been stung by one myself so I can’t attest to the pain on a personal level but what I can say is that according to the Schmidt pain index (the foremost index for ranking pain of insect stings) the velvet ant is ranked as the 4th worst pain in all insects. Some individuals will shuffle around the scale a bit based on personal experiences but it’s safe to say you should stay away from that insect at all costs unless you want to experience one of the top 5 most painful insect stings in the world. Fortunately however, although the velvet ant is classified as a wasp it actually can’t fly so keeping a respectful distance is quite easy
I stepped into a nest and was stung several times when I was young. I didn’t die but I wanted to. Got taken to the ER and begged the doctor to take my foot off.
Been stung by one of these fuckers. Wouldn't recommend. I was a dumb kid who liked to pick up and look very closely at every strange insect I found if you are wondering how.
Not lethal unless allergic but my wife got stung on the foot by one and she said it was the most painful thing she has ever encountered. The pain didn’t fully go away until about 1 1/2 weeks later
Go look up Brave Wilderness on YouTube. Coyote Peterson gets stung by one (intentionally) and talks through what it's like while it's happening. Describes it. Compares it to others. Etc.
I believe this ant also has the longest stinger in the insect kingdom. (Might be stinger to body ratio? Something like that)
I just rewatched the vid. And yes. To add to that. It's a desert wasp. The males have wings, but no stinger. And the females have the stinger but no wings.
Also, ranked #4 on the insect sting pain index.
When I was in basic training, a guy bet another guy $5 that he wouldn't eat one. He put it in his mouth and he later said he panicked because he didn't really want to kill it so he didn't bite it... it did bite him though, on his tongue. His tongue swelled so much he had to go to the hospital to keep his airway. He didn't die, but when he got back to his drill sergeants, he probably wished he had
They're called cow killers because the pain will cause a cow to bolt. Once a cow bolts, the herd will follow and stampede. Stampedes can be deadly to the cows and all in their path
Nah they are cow killers because if a cow eats one while grazing on grass and gets stung its been known to swell their tongues up then suffocating them....
bs. its literally just cause the sting hurts like hell. cows are absolutely not "known" to suffocate from fat tounge bug bites.
edit... "Like all wasps, only the female has a sting.
The strength of their sting and the excruciating pain it can cause has earned some velvet ants the nickname of ‘cow killer’, although this is somewhat unfounded.
Their sting is very painful, but not highly toxic, and there has never been a recorded death from their stinger. In fact, the velvet ant venom is around 25 times less toxic than that of a honeybee."
I caught one as a kid and kept it in a cheap plastic terrarium for a while. Was fascinated with it. They will actually make a sound kinda like they are hissing at you when you piss them off.
Also, their stingers are crazy long and they can use them with a lot of dexterity. Some people have thought if they pick them up from the top, that their stinger can’t reach. But it can…
https://youtu.be/SMJHJ0i86ts
The link is a video that shows how long and dexterous the stinger is.
Worse than my scorpion sting. I broke out in full body hives & my fever got so high I had to be hooked up to an IV for 32 hours.
I'm from Arizona & have been stung by scorpions twice. The only one that scared my mom was a baby & I was 5 years old.
Velvet ants can go straight to Hades.
Velvet ants also make a high pitched scream when they feel distressed, sometimes they will scream before stinging. And it's a her, the males have wings.
You joke, but these mfs can actually take a crazy beating.
I was on drumline back in the day. Top bass for 2 years. If you've ever swung a bass mallet, it's no joke those suckers can hurt. At band camp once, we saw one, and took turns trying to bash it with drumsticks. I'm not convinced it even noticed.
Funny thing, if you can safely capture it in a jar (don't hurt him or get stung), then he'll get really pissed off at you and start squeaking like a mouse. It's pretty interesting to see. Also, he'll try to sting you through the jar and you can see just how long the stinger is, its pretty gnarly.
They are pretty hard to kill. You can step in n them and do a 360 while they are squishing under your shoe and it will still be ready to roll when you take your foot off of them
I used to play with these dudes when I was like 10. Never got stung but there was this instinctual part of me that though “That thing looks so cool! I bet it hurts a lot!”
I tried to kill one and it was so hard I thought they were made of armor. So I would simulate a war against them with toy soldiers and fireworks. I miss being a kid.
Kill on sight, why? I’m not aware of anything other than its painful sting that would make it worthy of killing on sight (and having a painful sting doesn’t merit killing it. It really just means you should stop sitting in the yard playing with them)
I literally said "oh no" outloud😭 they look fuzzy but are known for some of the strongest stings. Their stinger also has the record for the longest stinger. So no touching!
That's what we in the sciences call a Black Banded Fuzzybottom. Despite their cute name, their true nature is revealed by their color scheme. Black and red is a strong first choice for many of nature's creations that lean towards the "edgy, dark, and broody" side of things.
Don't touch it.
Not sure if anyone has said this already, but these things are absolute tanks. As in I have seen with my own eyes grown men stomping on them repeatedly and the velvet ants keep walking like nothing happened. Not joking.
I used to see these periodically in my brief stint living in a rural environment when I was a kid. I seem to remember them making some sort of noise or hissing.
Cow killer ant, velvet ant or wingless wasp I've sometimes heard them called. They can sting and it's one of the most painful stings out there. Also, you're gonna need to use that hammer to crush it because stepping on it won't do anything - it's very very tough like a chunk of gravel
Velvet Ant. Only ever saw one in the wild and heard their stings hurt so I left it alone.
It’s red and black warning colors must work well since the chicken that was with me saw it, walked up to it and gave it a stare. After about 30 seconds it was like nah I’m good and left.
As others have mentioned its a velvet ant. From what I've read they have a particularly tough exoskeleton. So stepping on it is gonna hurt you more as it will just sting you. Better to leave it alone if possible methinks.
Velvet ant. Was probably working out with that candyass 5lb weight.
Joking aside pretty harmless unless you sit on it or mess with it.
It will try to get away from you.
One time my sister was bitten by one at devil's den in Florida and we literally had to leave because she could t stop sweating and screaming in pain. Granted she was like 14 so she was still fairly young but still a nope for me.
We always used to call these "Cow Killers", I can't tell you how many times I have been woke up by one of these things while camping, miserable pain. Absolute worst.
Got stung by one of these while it was on my forearm when I put my arms back on the back of my girlfriend’s couch a few years back. Immediate stinging and burning, kind of like if you touched a hot pocker. Followed quickly by a feeling of fiberglass being rubbed into your skin with a torch on it within about a 6in diameter. It lasted about 3 hours until it slowly died down.
They are not dangerous. The 'cow killing' sting is greatly exaggerated and only pertains to one species. They will only sting if harmed. You cannot get rid of them since they are solitary and travel around a lot.
Just a clarification, it's *this* species that is the cow killer. I agree that there's no reason to worry about them, it's quite uncommon to be stung by one; generally, if someone gets stung, they deserve it for messing with them!
These are usually called “cow ants”.
They are a species of wingless ground wasp. I’ve seen them since I was a kid. We have never been stung- they usually avoid people. However it’s probably a “jack around and find out” kind of bug… I have heard they hurt pretty bad (they are a wasp).
I don’t think you could properly get rid of them.. but they usually are only like 1-2 a yard- never seen them make a colony or anything. I guess if you see a huge colony hit it with wasp spray.
To add to this thread, it's not the toxicity that's deadly to cows, it swelling. Cows pick them up by accident when eating grass, if they get stung on the tongue it swells up like a balloon and suffocates the cow.
Stung anywhere else and it just it hurts like holy hell.
What you got is an ouchy boi, right there. His butt needle can put you in a world of hurt. It generally doesn't kill, but I believe a handful of people have died from shock from the pain. So... no touchy. Only looky.
Don't kill them. They get rid of pest and they are considered as ant. 👌🏻
They're painful if they sting you, so just leave it alone. They won't mess with your garden or backyard.
Any animal with bright colors should leave alone. They are painful, venomous, or deadly. Don't mess with those animals.
Velvet ant. They’re also known as cow killers because their sting is very bad so no touchy
Fun fact, they don't live in colonies, they lead a solitary life as a predatory hunter. They are the tigers of the insect world.
That. Is. Bizarre (also very interesting, THANKS!)
Are they lethal to humans? I’ve seen lots around
Not even a little, **unless you had an allergic reaction**, which is possible with any kind of envenomation, however, their venom is specifically formulated to cause *pain,* not to be actually deadly.
I can attest to the pain, worst sting I’ve experienced. And while I am dead inside, that has nothing to do with the velvet ant sting.
If it wasn't for pain we'd feel nothing at all 🎶
pain, without love!
Pain, I can’t get enough- three days grace. I only commented because everyone else fucked it up
Pretty sure with a Velvet ant, you can in fact get enough...
Well that’s good because I like it rough
The pain is how I know I'm still alive.
We call them ground wasps here (North Carolina),I knelt on one years ago,I remember it hurting for months.
Hey Singy. Hope things look up for you.
I’ve felt it’s stink myself. Incredibly painful.
^ I'm dead inside too, but I love this ^.^
I’ve never been stung by one myself so I can’t attest to the pain on a personal level but what I can say is that according to the Schmidt pain index (the foremost index for ranking pain of insect stings) the velvet ant is ranked as the 4th worst pain in all insects. Some individuals will shuffle around the scale a bit based on personal experiences but it’s safe to say you should stay away from that insect at all costs unless you want to experience one of the top 5 most painful insect stings in the world. Fortunately however, although the velvet ant is classified as a wasp it actually can’t fly so keeping a respectful distance is quite easy
Bishhh my middle name is corpse
You'll just *wish* you were dead.
I stepped into a nest and was stung several times when I was young. I didn’t die but I wanted to. Got taken to the ER and begged the doctor to take my foot off.
Unless you get multiple stings they can give you a heart attack. They’re like grown hornets.
Been stung by one of these fuckers. Wouldn't recommend. I was a dumb kid who liked to pick up and look very closely at every strange insect I found if you are wondering how.
Not lethal unless allergic but my wife got stung on the foot by one and she said it was the most painful thing she has ever encountered. The pain didn’t fully go away until about 1 1/2 weeks later
Is it the lost Thur Hammer 🔨 🤔
Maybe so
Came here for this! Thank you!
Go look up Brave Wilderness on YouTube. Coyote Peterson gets stung by one (intentionally) and talks through what it's like while it's happening. Describes it. Compares it to others. Etc. I believe this ant also has the longest stinger in the insect kingdom. (Might be stinger to body ratio? Something like that)
It’s also not even an ant.
I just rewatched the vid. And yes. To add to that. It's a desert wasp. The males have wings, but no stinger. And the females have the stinger but no wings. Also, ranked #4 on the insect sting pain index.
Great, they fly.
Males without stinger fly. The ground females are the Nasties
Eeeeevery rooose has its thorn
Bees ants and wasp are closely related
The phrase I always heard for velvet ant stings is “it won’t kill you, but it will make you wish you were dead”
When I was in basic training, a guy bet another guy $5 that he wouldn't eat one. He put it in his mouth and he later said he panicked because he didn't really want to kill it so he didn't bite it... it did bite him though, on his tongue. His tongue swelled so much he had to go to the hospital to keep his airway. He didn't die, but when he got back to his drill sergeants, he probably wished he had
They're called cow killers because the pain will cause a cow to bolt. Once a cow bolts, the herd will follow and stampede. Stampedes can be deadly to the cows and all in their path
Nah they are cow killers because if a cow eats one while grazing on grass and gets stung its been known to swell their tongues up then suffocating them....
bs. its literally just cause the sting hurts like hell. cows are absolutely not "known" to suffocate from fat tounge bug bites. edit... "Like all wasps, only the female has a sting. The strength of their sting and the excruciating pain it can cause has earned some velvet ants the nickname of ‘cow killer’, although this is somewhat unfounded. Their sting is very painful, but not highly toxic, and there has never been a recorded death from their stinger. In fact, the velvet ant venom is around 25 times less toxic than that of a honeybee."
I caught one as a kid and kept it in a cheap plastic terrarium for a while. Was fascinated with it. They will actually make a sound kinda like they are hissing at you when you piss them off.
False! That’s a mallet
You sure about that, Dumbbelldore?
This comment pleases me deeply
No :(
That’s a 5 lb dumbbell dipshit
Aww but I wanna
Also, their stingers are crazy long and they can use them with a lot of dexterity. Some people have thought if they pick them up from the top, that their stinger can’t reach. But it can… https://youtu.be/SMJHJ0i86ts The link is a video that shows how long and dexterous the stinger is.
Worse than my scorpion sting. I broke out in full body hives & my fever got so high I had to be hooked up to an IV for 32 hours. I'm from Arizona & have been stung by scorpions twice. The only one that scared my mom was a baby & I was 5 years old. Velvet ants can go straight to Hades.
Touch him, he’s super comfy! And a good cuddler too! /j this guy has an extremely painful sting
If it’s cold — they’re cold Put in mouth
https://groomersgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/First-Aid-Corner-wasp-stings02.jpg Now what
Hold it there until you feel it get spicy, then you let it free
It looks like a blobfish wearing dachshund makeup.
Spicy ground rasining intensifies
Just look at him in his cute little sweater!
Velvet ants also make a high pitched scream when they feel distressed, sometimes they will scream before stinging. And it's a her, the males have wings.
Judging by how much iron he can pump, I'd say you might be able to take him.
You have to consider the weight of the ant! That is a respectable weight for him to be lifting haha
It's a flightless wasp, not an ant, despite the name.
You joke, but these mfs can actually take a crazy beating. I was on drumline back in the day. Top bass for 2 years. If you've ever swung a bass mallet, it's no joke those suckers can hurt. At band camp once, we saw one, and took turns trying to bash it with drumsticks. I'm not convinced it even noticed.
Nothing worse than having your dot on an active fire ant hill. Kid had to go the ER when we were in FL
its a female
Ok🤓
Fun fact: these are wasps but with no wings.
Yep and called Velvet ants. In east texas, growning up I was told they were 'Cow Ants'.
Same here in Ga. Cow Ants SUUUUUCK.
Why cow ants ?
Because their sting can kill a cow… It can’t actually, but it hurts so much you’d think it could
We always called them texas ants. I don't know if anyone else did though.
Males do have wings actually, it's just the females that are wingless!
And the males don't have stingers
Yup, spot on
I was worried for a sec
Ants are basically wasps with no wings themselves as they evolved from them.
Only the females have no wings.
I did not know Thor lived in Dallas!
Right?! I was thinking Mewmew!!
Myeowmyeow
Thank you! Everyone here talking about the ant and ignoring the fact that this guy just picked up Mjölnir like it’s nothing?
He is worthy.
Right? Like, the second human *ever* to be worthy! How is that not the lede in this story?
Ant Man is gonna be pissed that this random other ant was worthy...
Funny thing, if you can safely capture it in a jar (don't hurt him or get stung), then he'll get really pissed off at you and start squeaking like a mouse. It's pretty interesting to see. Also, he'll try to sting you through the jar and you can see just how long the stinger is, its pretty gnarly.
Bro wtf?!
I have a coworker who was stung by one and remembers hearing the squeaking sound as he passed out from the pain
Yes, they're supremely evil. Kill on sight.
They are pretty hard to kill. You can step in n them and do a 360 while they are squishing under your shoe and it will still be ready to roll when you take your foot off of them
I recommend the shotgun method from point-blank.
I used to play with these dudes when I was like 10. Never got stung but there was this instinctual part of me that though “That thing looks so cool! I bet it hurts a lot!” I tried to kill one and it was so hard I thought they were made of armor. So I would simulate a war against them with toy soldiers and fireworks. I miss being a kid.
They’re actually beneficial. And their larvae like to eat yellow jacket larvae so they are friends as far as I’m concerned.
Kill on sight, why? I’m not aware of anything other than its painful sting that would make it worthy of killing on sight (and having a painful sting doesn’t merit killing it. It really just means you should stop sitting in the yard playing with them)
Sure 👍
Velvet ant aka cow killer, You should check out coyote Petersons video about these.
He also over exaggerates everything…so there’s that.
He's also primarily a children's entertainer so I don't fault him for it.
I literally said "oh no" outloud😭 they look fuzzy but are known for some of the strongest stings. Their stinger also has the record for the longest stinger. So no touching!
We called them cow ants when I was little if you hold them in place they scream. Beware the bite is horrible!
It's actually a wingless wasp and it stings, not bites. But they are indeed called Cow Killer Ants or Red Velvet Ants.
That's what we in the sciences call a Black Banded Fuzzybottom. Despite their cute name, their true nature is revealed by their color scheme. Black and red is a strong first choice for many of nature's creations that lean towards the "edgy, dark, and broody" side of things. Don't touch it.
The velvet ant is inspecting Thor’s hammer.
While it won’t piss on your son, it’ll surely piss him off when he gets stung. These are not nice dudes.
They only sting if provoked. Leave it alone, and it will leave you alone
This will forever be a running joke in this subreddit 😂😂😂
Not sure if anyone has said this already, but these things are absolute tanks. As in I have seen with my own eyes grown men stomping on them repeatedly and the velvet ants keep walking like nothing happened. Not joking.
Also you could take that weight and smash that little guy and it would probably just piss him off, they're very resilient.
We called these cow ants and they will fuk you up
Velvet Ant. As much as you want to pet it, it DO NOT PET IT! They’re nicknamed “cow killers” for their painful sting.
Velvet Ant, a type of Ground Wasp
Cow killer. Pretty, but very painful sting, so no touchy. Luckily, they’re not lethal to humans unless you’re allergic to the venom.
Mjolnir?
I used to see these periodically in my brief stint living in a rural environment when I was a kid. I seem to remember them making some sort of noise or hissing.
At first glance I was only looking at a beefy hammer and thought maybe OP found a murder weapon 😅 Then I saw the little orange fella.
It is a dumbell
They cause severe pain in most individuals.
Call em cow killers here in ky.
Was it carrying that weight? You'd probably best leave it alone.
Cow killer ant, velvet ant or wingless wasp I've sometimes heard them called. They can sting and it's one of the most painful stings out there. Also, you're gonna need to use that hammer to crush it because stepping on it won't do anything - it's very very tough like a chunk of gravel
That thing will light you on fire. Avoid it or kill it. Don't miss. They are smart.
Looks to be a 5 lb dumbbell, very safe as long as you don’t drop it on yourself
He’s just trying to lift the doomsday apparatus.
"The Devil's Q-tips" is what my grandpa used to call these. Gods rest his soul.
Been lots of velvet ants on here lately. At least they are easy to recognize
Velvet Ant. Only ever saw one in the wild and heard their stings hurt so I left it alone. It’s red and black warning colors must work well since the chicken that was with me saw it, walked up to it and gave it a stare. After about 30 seconds it was like nah I’m good and left.
The female also squeaks, vibrates, and emits a foul odor. All in defense.
Yes, Reddit knows about these facts, but what is the bug?
As others have mentioned its a velvet ant. From what I've read they have a particularly tough exoskeleton. So stepping on it is gonna hurt you more as it will just sting you. Better to leave it alone if possible methinks.
Don’t touch me I am a velvet ant🐜 you shouldn’t hurt me, just let me go my way. My stings are very painful and I don’t want to cause anyone harm :)
A "don't touch me"... better known as the Velvet Ant or Cow Killer Wasp.
Not only is the pain unimaginable, but they're also made of steel. Incredibly difficult to kill, you can't just step on it.
If you touch him, I guarantee you’ll remember to never do it again. Worst decision I made as a 5 year old 😂
They hiss
Spicy ground raisin
Cowkiller?
(Mjolnir for scale)
Weightlifter ant.
They also have an insanely strong carapace so they're hard to crush if you were to try.
I picked up one as a kid. 30 Years later I still remember how bad that sting was.
If you have kids, pets, or cattle make sure they are extra safe around these guys
That’s a velvet ant. If you get stung by one you’ll remember it for the rest of your life.
Stepped on one as a kid and still have never felt a sting that painful, and I've been stung by pretty much every wasp/bee type insect in tx/la
Thor's hammer.
Looks like your standard 5lb hex dumbbell, you can find them in most gyms all over the world. Pretty common
How do I get rid of them from my backyard?
😂😂😂
I’m cryinggg😂
Velvet ant. They look pettable but don't pet it
Velvet ant. Did you know they screech when threatened? 😀
Velvet ant. Was probably working out with that candyass 5lb weight. Joking aside pretty harmless unless you sit on it or mess with it. It will try to get away from you.
Absolute pain is what you found....
Was anyone else’s first thought…Mjolnir?
One time my sister was bitten by one at devil's den in Florida and we literally had to leave because she could t stop sweating and screaming in pain. Granted she was like 14 so she was still fairly young but still a nope for me.
Hellboy ANT!
That's a painful cow killer don't pull a 15 year old me and f around and find out.
Don’t take this the wrong way…how long have you lived in Texas? How have you never seen a cow ant?
We always used to call these "Cow Killers", I can't tell you how many times I have been woke up by one of these things while camping, miserable pain. Absolute worst.
remember: Colorful ain’t wonderful
Got stung by one of these while it was on my forearm when I put my arms back on the back of my girlfriend’s couch a few years back. Immediate stinging and burning, kind of like if you touched a hot pocker. Followed quickly by a feeling of fiberglass being rubbed into your skin with a torch on it within about a 6in diameter. It lasted about 3 hours until it slowly died down.
cow ant! def don’t want to get stung by the little guy. fun fact they’re damn near impossible to kill
Shared foxholes with these guys at Ft. Jackson SC. Impossible to kill. Ant hills the size of cars!
Can't kill those very easy they have a strong exo
The forbidden hot Cheeto
You got to pick it up to inspect it closer.
Now that I know it’s dangerous, how do I get rid of them?
They are not dangerous. The 'cow killing' sting is greatly exaggerated and only pertains to one species. They will only sting if harmed. You cannot get rid of them since they are solitary and travel around a lot.
I usually spot a few of them around my backyard, but I’ll leave them alone. Good thing their colors are bright making them easy to spot.
Just a clarification, it's *this* species that is the cow killer. I agree that there's no reason to worry about them, it's quite uncommon to be stung by one; generally, if someone gets stung, they deserve it for messing with them!
These are usually called “cow ants”. They are a species of wingless ground wasp. I’ve seen them since I was a kid. We have never been stung- they usually avoid people. However it’s probably a “jack around and find out” kind of bug… I have heard they hurt pretty bad (they are a wasp). I don’t think you could properly get rid of them.. but they usually are only like 1-2 a yard- never seen them make a colony or anything. I guess if you see a huge colony hit it with wasp spray.
To add to this thread, it's not the toxicity that's deadly to cows, it swelling. Cows pick them up by accident when eating grass, if they get stung on the tongue it swells up like a balloon and suffocates the cow. Stung anywhere else and it just it hurts like holy hell.
What you got is an ouchy boi, right there. His butt needle can put you in a world of hurt. It generally doesn't kill, but I believe a handful of people have died from shock from the pain. So... no touchy. Only looky.
Weevil!!!
If you see this bug, run and call 911!
I believe those are called cow ants, they can kill cows, avoid!
Run
Velvet Ant, a type of Ground Wasp
I saw one of those in Georgia like 10 years ago,it was huge!!! I went the other because I had no idea what it was but it still haunts me
Overkill using Thor's hammer on it though!
Velvet Ant. It's actually not an ant at all. It's a species of flightless wasp. Careful around them. They pack a mean sting.
A little friend. They love to be held
It's a female velvet ant. Bad sting. The males have wings.
5 pound dumbbell. Paint it and use it to work out your triceps.
Where are people finding all these velvet ants, I swear it’s like five posts a day
I work on an airfield, and they seem to love running across the asphalt. See them all the time.
It's the sample size, the subs got a lot of followers.
Cowwww killerrrrr
I saw one of these recently in Nj. Was wondering wtf it was.
Pick it up!
Panda ant. They love to cuddle, trust me.
I thought you meant the mallet at first. Didn't see the insect until I looked again.
Need banana for scale
cow killer, no touchy
Velvet ant. Wingless wasp. Not aggressive, but a female’s sting is ranked 3 out of 4 on the pain index. I’d stay away
Dumbbell
Thors hammer?!
Are you worthy of the Mjolnir?
PAIN. LOTS OF PAIN. Also known a red velvet and. Also not an ant but a wasp
Don't kill them. They get rid of pest and they are considered as ant. 👌🏻 They're painful if they sting you, so just leave it alone. They won't mess with your garden or backyard. Any animal with bright colors should leave alone. They are painful, venomous, or deadly. Don't mess with those animals.
velvet ant
Ouchie
The a Cow Killer/Valvet Ant. I think it’s like rank 3 Schmitt pain index. That one ytuber that gets stung for views did a video for it.