This Velvet Ant Provides New Insights Into Nature’s Ultrablack Secrets
New research has found an insect species with markings that are so black that they’re ‘superblack’ or ‘ultrablack’, absorbing ...
New Scientist22d
Secrets of velvet ant's venom explain what makes its sting so painful
The sting of a female velvet ant is one of the most painful in the animal kingdom. Now, researchers have discovered that these insects have multiple proteins in their venom that make it ...
Science News22d
Velvet ants have the Swiss Army knife of venoms
Few creatures can tangle with a velvet ant and walk away unscathed. These ground-dwelling insects are not ants, but parasitic wasps known for their excruciating stings. Now researchers have ...
Natural History Museum%2c London3y
Velvet ants: flamboyant and fuzzy with extreme PPE
Despite their name and looks, velvet ants are actually wasps. Many of these delightfully fuzzy insects exhibit bright, contrasting shades of black with red, orange or white. Their bold bodies serve as ...
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette1mon
Brazilian velvet ant’s ultrablack coloring absorbs nearly all light
The first thing to understand about velvet ants is that they are not, in fact, ants. They're wasps, some of which are wingless, and are named in part for their fluffy exteriors. About the size of ...
Yahoo1mon
Velvet ant’s markings can absorb nearly all visible light, study finds
BRASILIA, Brazil – A new study has revealed the complex makeup of an ant found in South America that can absorb nearly all visible light. Researchers analyzed the velvet ant’s exoskeleton and ...
National Geographic news3y
Ants, facts and information
The ants are a significant threat to the island’s endemic population of red crabs, displacing the ... including the velvet ant, which is actually a hairy, wingless wasp.