Commmon Eastern Velvet Ant - Cow Killer - Dasymutilla occidentalis

So... this one's got a story behind it.  The story takes place in North Carolina, and that's where the specimen in the photos is from. I know, I know, this one isn't from Richmond, as the name of the blog would generally have you believe. The thing is, most stories, photos, features on this blog will be from RVA. Sometimes I'll collect, or take a photo of, something I really like that isn't even from VA. Take heart though, we do have them in VA, and even in Richmond. 

The insect in question is a Cow Killer (which is how I'll refer to it for the rest of the post). It looks like this:



This one was HUGE. So not small, like some other Cow Killers, but as big as half my index finger. 

So, my family decides to take a trip, down to the farm of a family friend in NC. I go exploring, for hours, and then come back. Well, we decide we're gonna eat some watermelon (b/c our hosts have offered us some). After a half-hour, we're done, and we decide to feed the rinds to the pigs (they have those). In the meantime, there's a big pile of wood-chips, and the other kids and I have decided to climb it. Now, they've dug holes in the mound, and they're basically pitfall traps now. I climb up, and then down again.  At this point, I'm looking at the dogbane (for a type of chrysomelid that I'll cover in a later post, no doubt). Then I hear the other kids shouting about a huge ant that had fallen into one of the pits, and I'm thinking it's some boring old Camponotus pensylvanicus (Black Carpenter Ant). But, I decide, I'll check it out anyway. Glad I did. As I look down, I see it. Crawling up the side, and falling. Crawling, falling, again and again. I accidentally bury it, so I ask one of them to go get me the pink tray we brought the watermelon in. After that I spent 10 minutes filtering wood-chips into the pan. I see it again, and catch it. The whole thing was a high adrenaline experience, glad I didn't get stung. 

The end.

More photos of the specimen:




  
   

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