Texas Ant ID

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Ares9738
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:09 pm
Location: Texas, U.S.A.

Texas Ant ID

Post: # 51955Post Ares9738
Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:19 pm

I found this ant in my house today and i believe it is a queen though i'm not sure what species.

I found the ant inside my home in East Texas on October 5th, 2018.
It's about half an inch. (about 13 mm according to google).

Image

Boomdale
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:49 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Texas Ant ID

Post: # 51962Post Boomdale
Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:31 am

That sir, looks like a velvet ant. I assume you did not pick it up by hand. Has one of the worst stings in the insect kingdom
Nylanderia Sp.
Pheidole Sp.

Founding - Cremagastor & Solonopsis Invicta

23brendan
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Cincinnati OH, United States

Re: Texas Ant ID

Post: # 51998Post 23brendan
Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:15 pm

Here's a photo of a "Velvet Ant"
Image
They're actually not ants, but are much closer to known wasps. They are solitary predatory insects, and are most definitely not queens! Be careful, they're also known as "Cow Killers" due to their ferociously painful stings.

Ares9738
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:09 pm
Location: Texas, U.S.A.

Re: Texas Ant ID

Post: # 52000Post Ares9738
Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:41 pm

I actually found it crawling on my arm while i was in bed and did put it in the test tube by hand, glad this guy didn't sting me. I've seen velvet ants before but they always looked more fuzzy. I guess i'll go release him, thanks for the help.

TheRealAntMan
Posts: 620
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Texas Ant ID

Post: # 52047Post TheRealAntMan
Sun Oct 07, 2018 2:30 pm

Ares9738 wrote:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:41 pm
I actually found it crawling on my arm while i was in bed and did put it in the test tube by hand, glad this guy didn't sting me. I've seen velvet ants before but they always looked more fuzzy. I guess i'll go release him, thanks for the help.
There are many types of velvet ants. This one looks like it's from the Eastern velvet ant group. The "fuzzy" ones are likely Desert velvet ants or Western velvet ants.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

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