Took the risk of meeting with a close contact(in the open air) to have a look at his little wasp mating season goings on. He’s seven days since his negative RAT test and it is ten days since his wife brought it home from work. He still hasn’t shown symptoms. I stayed up and cross wind from him as a precaution.

Their sting is supposed to be particularly painful.

Bubblecar said:

Their sting is supposed to be particularly painful.

You can bet your cojones on that.
Bullants are bad but these are unbearable.
Just don’t go digging your bare toes through hot sand without looking first.

Two different species, both females of course. The males have wings.

roughbarked said:

Took the risk of meeting with a close contact(in the open air) to have a look at his little wasp mating season goings on. He’s seven days since his negative RAT test and it is ten days since his wife brought it home from work. He still hasn’t shown symptoms. I stayed up and cross wind from him as a precaution.

>>Velvet ants get their name from the wingless female that resembles a hairy or velvety ant.

Velvet ants are found throughout Australia.

Velvet ants scuttle around on the ground looking for the nests of wasps and bees. Finding a suitable nest, the velvet ant chews her way into it. There she usually lays a single egg on the pupa of the host wasp. She then sneaks back out of the nest, sometimes sealing up her entrance holes with mud. Inside the nest the velvet ant egg hatches quickly and the larva that emerges eats the developing larva or pupa and then spins its own cocoon. It stays in this disguise until it emerges as an adult.

Female velvet ants are capable of delivering a painful sting if disturbed. An ice pack will relieve the pain. People with allergies to bee and wasp stings may suffer a severe reaction to velvet ant venom and should seek medical attention.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/velvet-ants/

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

Took the risk of meeting with a close contact(in the open air) to have a look at his little wasp mating season goings on. He’s seven days since his negative RAT test and it is ten days since his wife brought it home from work. He still hasn’t shown symptoms. I stayed up and cross wind from him as a precaution.

>>Velvet ants get their name from the wingless female that resembles a hairy or velvety ant.

Velvet ants are found throughout Australia.

Velvet ants scuttle around on the ground looking for the nests of wasps and bees. Finding a suitable nest, the velvet ant chews her way into it. There she usually lays a single egg on the pupa of the host wasp. She then sneaks back out of the nest, sometimes sealing up her entrance holes with mud. Inside the nest the velvet ant egg hatches quickly and the larva that emerges eats the developing larva or pupa and then spins its own cocoon. It stays in this disguise until it emerges as an adult.

Female velvet ants are capable of delivering a painful sting if disturbed. An ice pack will relieve the pain. People with allergies to bee and wasp stings may suffer a severe reaction to velvet ant venom and should seek medical attention.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/velvet-ants/

In this case the host wasps were two species of Bembix wasps.

roughbarked said:

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

Took the risk of meeting with a close contact(in the open air) to have a look at his little wasp mating season goings on. He’s seven days since his negative RAT test and it is ten days since his wife brought it home from work. He still hasn’t shown symptoms. I stayed up and cross wind from him as a precaution.

>>Velvet ants get their name from the wingless female that resembles a hairy or velvety ant.

Velvet ants are found throughout Australia.

Velvet ants scuttle around on the ground looking for the nests of wasps and bees. Finding a suitable nest, the velvet ant chews her way into it. There she usually lays a single egg on the pupa of the host wasp. She then sneaks back out of the nest, sometimes sealing up her entrance holes with mud. Inside the nest the velvet ant egg hatches quickly and the larva that emerges eats the developing larva or pupa and then spins its own cocoon. It stays in this disguise until it emerges as an adult.

Female velvet ants are capable of delivering a painful sting if disturbed. An ice pack will relieve the pain. People with allergies to bee and wasp stings may suffer a severe reaction to velvet ant venom and should seek medical attention.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/velvet-ants/

In this case the host wasps were two species of Bembix wasps.

interesting in as much as the velvet ant
seems to have taken a page outta’ the wasps book
makes me wonder which came first …the ant or the egg?

Bubblecar said:

Their sting is supposed to be particularly painful.

relatively speaking

Ogmog said:

Bubblecar said:

Their sting is supposed to be particularly painful.

relatively speaking

No Australian species mentioned there but
19. The Velvet Ant

Also known as “The Cow Killer,” North American Velvet ants are actually wingless female wasps, and their fearsome stinger (the longest, relative to body size, of any stinging insect in the world) is just one of its many defense mechanisms. Cow-killer venom causes intense agony and its pain is rated at level #3.

>In Australia We have bull ants which have really mean sting but our velvet ants can rival a centipede’s sting. Lasts for many hours too.

roughbarked said:

>In Australia We have bull ants which have really mean sting

yep…

Arts said:

roughbarked said:

>In Australia We have bull ants which have really mean sting

yep…

Here we have Jumping ants. Like a bull ant on steroids:

Tamb said:

Arts said:

roughbarked said:

>In Australia We have bull ants which have really mean sting

yep…

Here we have Jumping ants. Like a bull ant on steroids:

They can all jump.

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

Arts said:

yep…

Here we have Jumping ants. Like a bull ant on steroids:

They can all jump.

The jumper just jumps further. When they’re threatened, jack jumper ants can jump 7.5-10 cm

Tamb said:

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

Here we have Jumping ants. Like a bull ant on steroids:

They can all jump.

The jumper just jumps further. When they’re threatened, jack jumper ants can jump 7.5-10 cm

I’ve experienced several types. including the above.

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

roughbarked said:

They can all jump.

The jumper just jumps further. When they’re threatened, jack jumper ants can jump 7.5-10 cm

I’ve experienced several types. including the above.

The dear little fellas live in my backyard. Friendly, come right up to you.

Tamb said:

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

The jumper just jumps further. When they’re threatened, jack jumper ants can jump 7.5-10 cm

I’ve experienced several types. including the above.

The dear little fellas live in my backyard. Friendly, come right up to you.

As long as you keep your distance.