or 'Velvet Ant'.
I saw one of these at Flag Ponds last weekend.
I read that they are really wasps, not ants.
The female is wingless and I've heard that her
bite will really put a hurtin' on yer ass !
I've been finding them a lot more lately.
First one I ever saw actually found me where I work, about three years ago.
At the time I had no idea what it was really called.
It looked like a
red velvet fire ant to me, so I googled it.
I guess it is some what apropriately named.
I let this guy go, having never seen them before, my motto is usually live and let live.
Last year at the stables where I boarded, about 7, came crawling out of the side of the old wooden barn (during varing times). Hard little suckers to kill too.
Way too close for comfort, ya know what I mean!
Found one again this year just the other day. Had a little funeral for that one too.
Lived here most of my life (most of it outside or on horse back) and had never seen them before. Not sure why now the sudden influx of the little (and I say that lightly) creature.