Smithsonian Magazine on MSN12d
Meet the Brazilian Velvet Ant, a Rare ‘Ultra-Black’ Wasp That’s So Dark It Absorbs Almost All Visible Light
While the distinctive coloration is thought to be a warning to predators, it also has intriguing implications for designing ...
This Brazilian Velvet Ant Is So Dark That It’s Ultrablack
Compared with other ultrablack animals, female velvet ants are darker than the common birdwing butterfly, the only other ...
‘Ultra-black‘ Velvet Ant Reflects Less Than 1 Percent of Light
Wasps aren’t normally admired for their looks, but one species—Traumatomutilla bifurca, a Brazilian velvet ant—is unlike any ...
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Velvet ants: flamboyant and fuzzy with extreme PPE
Velvet ants are sometimes called cow killers due to the excruciating pain a sting can impart, although cows aren't likely to be in any real danger. Stinging is the wasp's last resort, used to shock a ...
Velvet ant’s markings can absorb nearly all visible light, study finds
Researchers have uncovered a species of ants in South America that actually stems from the wasp family. These ants have a ...