Okay I was outside hanging christmas lights and I felt something on my arm. It felt similar to a fly but heavier so I figured it was just a big fly. So I kinda shook my arm and when it didn't fly away I looked at my arm and saw this GIANT black ant with a huge pointy but. It was definitly either an ant or ant related because it was shaped just like an ant. No wings. It's butt was big and kindy pointy. It was black it may have had yellow stripes on it's butt, but I'm not sure i only saw it for a second before i freaked out and flicked it off and ran in the house! It was at least 3/4 of an inch long I would guess more around an inch or more though.
2007-12-08 07:22:23 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
it has NO wings
2007-12-08 07:28:20 · update #1
It's called a velvet ant. The females are wingless. They are actually wasps with a painful sting. Here's a good site:
lemme try and find your species... try Dasymutilla quadriguttata... http://bugguide.net/node/view/35454/bgpage
2007-12-08 08:04:05 · answer #1 · answered by Reduviidae 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It could have been a queen bee or a queen ant, the queen bee is big and black, furry too, the queen ant just loooks like a huge ant, feel better
2007-12-08 15:28:52 · answer #2 · answered by LikeItorNot 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sounds more like a wasp... there are some that look like flying ants and hunt spiders and caterpillers... they might bite to hold on if you shook your arm.. better to stay calm and flick it off..
(you will be fine)
.
2007-12-08 15:26:42 · answer #3 · answered by ca_surveyor 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have seen one of those before. It might have been a king ant. That or a bee! =) But i dont think it can hurt you i think it is just a nother way to "trick" it preditor
2007-12-08 15:27:34 · answer #4 · answered by cachick40 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree, it was probably a velvet ant.
2007-12-08 23:21:43 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. Twinkles 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋