Dasymutilla occidentalis Dasymutilla occidentalis Dasymutilla occidentalis (red velvet ant or eastern velvet ant), is a species of parasitoid wasp native to the eastern United States. It is commonly mistaken for a member of the true ant family, as the female is wingless. The species ranges from Connecticut to Missouri in the north and Florida to Texas in the south. Other common names include cow ant and cow killer. The eastern velvet ant is the largest of the velvet ant species in the United States, attaining an approximate length of 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Adults display aposematic coloration, consisting of black overall coloring
Red imported fire ant Walter Kempf's 1972 catalogue of Neotropical ants. In 1972, American entomologist William Buren described what he thought was a new species, naming it "Solenopsis invicta". Buren collected a holotype worker from Cuiabá in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and provided the first official description of the ant in a journal article published by the Georgia Entomological Society. He accidentally misspelled "invicta" as "invica" above the description pages of the species, although it was clear that "invicta" was the intended spelling because of the constant use of the name in the article. The type material is currently housed in the National Museum of