By Katrina Miller 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.

The animal world goes in hard for impressive colors, from those that blend in perfectly with their surroundings to those born to stand out and seem dressed to impress. However, new research has ...

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 ...

But scurrying across this land of extreme whiteness is, paradoxically, one of the darkest animals on Earth: a species of velvet ant known as Traumatomutilla bifurca. With its furry exterior and ...

These wasps are one of the darkest organisms in the world. Ultra-black isn’t just a matter of having a lot of melanin. Upon closer examination of the wasp’s exoskeleton, scientists found thin ...

It's a killer insect that's responsible for thousands of deaths. The Cow Killer, also known as the Velvet Ant, is highly venomous. Its venomous sting can be excruciating painful to humans. The ...

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 ...

But one of the striking examples comes from the ground-dwelling velvet ant. This ant, which is actually a flightless wasp, sports a exoskeleton that mixes ultrablack regions with white areas.

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 ...