New research has found an insect species with markings that are so black that they’re ‘superblack’ or ‘ultrablack’, absorbing ...

But scurrying across this land of extreme whiteness is, paradoxically, one of the darkest animals on Earth: a species of velvet ant known as Traumatomutilla bifurca. With its furry exterior and ...

Velvet ants are in fact a family of wingless wasps with more than 7000 species. The researcher Justin Schmidt, who invented the Schmidt sting pain index, described their sting as “explosive and ...

There are about 8,000 species in the wasp family Mutillidae. This group is more commonly known as velvet ants, a name that comes from the females' resemblance to large, hairy ants. Velvet ants are ...

These wasps are one of the darkest organisms in the world. Ultra-black isn’t just a matter of having a lot of melanin. Upon closer examination of the wasp’s exoskeleton, scientists found thin ...

There are several wasp species that closely resemble ants, including the velvet ant, which is actually a hairy, wingless wasp. — University of Nebraska-Lincoln Ancient ants found perfectly ...

Other species are known to possess this type of ... When Borjon and her colleagues authors first began experimenting with velvet ants, they suspected that might be the case for their venom ...

Velvet ant venom acts on specific pain pathways in mammals and insects, revealing a unique biological defence mechanism ...

About the size of a board game die, one species of velvet ant is known for its distinct black-and-white markings, which dazzle the eye as the creatures scurry across tropical savanna and a dry ...

Researchers analyzed the velvet ant’s exoskeleton and uncovered a highly ... considered to be rare in nature but have been seen on species such as peacock, spiders and butterflies.

Velvet ants are in fact a family of wingless wasps with more than 7000 species. The researcher Justin Schmidt, who invented the Schmidt sting pain index, described their sting as “explosive and ...