Cavedale RhônesCame across a Velvet Ant today. Cute little bug that is not an ant, but a wingless wasp with a serious sting. It is nicknamed “Cow Killer”, so you don’t want to mess with them! #Insects
AI6YR Ben@ai6yr You can test it if you want 🤣🫣. According to my 8 year old grandson, the African version which has red fur, is the real Cow Killer. He is a student of dangerous stuff in the world. 😉
W6KME@CavedaleRhones @ai6yr good thing they are such chill things, because they're everywhere here.
@W6KME @CavedaleRhones We have Tarantula Hawks, which I steer clear of. They have a reputation for dispensing immense pain.
@W6KME @silentLurker @CavedaleRhones
HAHAHAHA someone actually got stung by every single one of these insects for this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_sting_pain_index
h/t @emily
Violet Madder@ai6yr @W6KME @silentLurker @CavedaleRhones @emily
"Schmidt described the sting of an urban digger bee, categorized into pain level 1, as "almost pleasant, a lover just bit your earlobe a little too hard."[3] Also rated into pain level 1, Schmidt has described the sting of a sweat bee as "light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm."[3]"
Thank heavens for geeks with bizarre hobbies.
PhilSalkie@violetmadder @ai6yr @W6KME @silentLurker @CavedaleRhones @emily
Somewhere I have a photo of a really cool looking black and bright red ant-looking bug that I found in a park in Maryland and let it walk on my hand for a better photo op. I set it down again, we went our merry ways.
Later was told that it was a Cow Killer Ant (actually a parasitic wasp) - its sting (on a scale of 1-10) is said to be about a 27.
Sometimes I wonder about me...
@PhilSalkie @ai6yr @W6KME @silentLurker @CavedaleRhones @emily
They're pretty chill though, and you didn't make it mad so it's all good.
(I'd probably pick one up myself, even knowing what it was)