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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies (Pompiloidea) » Velvet Ants (Mutillidae) » Sphaeropthalminae » Dasymutillini » Dasymutilla » Dasymutilla ursus
Photo#440172
Big Ant - Dasymutilla ursus - female
Copyright © 2010 David Brady

Big Ant - Dasymutilla ursus - Female
Antelope Island, Davis County, Utah, USA
August 8, 2010
Size: 10-15mm
I didn't think this was an ant at all (and I'm still not sure?) until I got it up on the monitor. It was huge, I originally thought it was a fuzzy hunting spider. I didn't get an exact measurement but it was easily twice the size of a harvester ant, maybe 12-15mm long. Sorry for not a great picture, it was also moving quickly from cover to cover.
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Contributed by David Brady on 10 August, 2010 - 7:09pm
Last updated 22 August, 2010 - 6:02pm

Moved
Moved from Velvet Ants.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 22 August, 2010 - 6:01pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… John S. Ascher, 11 August, 2010 - 12:00pm login or register to post comments

A "Velvet Ant" in the family Mutillidae.
They are wasps; the females are wingless and antlike. Someone else will probably be able to take the ID further. In the meantime, you might want to look around here.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 10 August, 2010 - 7:14pm login or register to post comments

 
That's a WASP?!?
Okay, that is crazy awesome. Thank you!
… David Brady, 10 August, 2010 - 7:24pm login or register to post comments

 
Cool find
This is Dasymutilla vesta, the only "bald" Dasymutilla species found west of Texas and eastern New Mexico. This species lives throughout the United States, except for the Pacific region and the hot southern deserts.
… Kevin Williams, 22 August, 2010 - 11:11am login or register to post comments

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