Organism of the Day: The Panda Ant

Behold, the Panda Ant (Euspinolia militaris)!

This little guy certainly is strange. Surprisingly, it is not an ant at all, but still a member of the same Order (Hymenoptera). Actually, it’s a wasp. The family Mutillidae is the family of velvet ants, which are furry, wingless wasps. Or rather, wingless female wasps. These little guys can pack a punch; Their sting hurts so much that it’s also called the “Cow Killer”. They live in the Andes in Chile, so don’t expect to see one around here.

Note, I don’t own these images.