Velvet Ant

That is a velvet ant.

It isn't really an ant at all.

It is a wingless wasp in the family Mutillidae. There are over 3000 species in this family whose female members all resemble large, hairy ants. They live in dry desert climates.

There are 400 species of these things in the southwestern US.

Their hair can be red, orange, silver, white, black, or gold.

They are also called cow killer ants because they have incredible painful stings and are known to attack cows and other livestock.

Unlike real ants, velvet ants are solitary. They do not have drones, workers, or queens.

They do have incredibly hard exoskeletons that are known for breaking the steel pins used by entomologists.

Eggs are laid inside other insect nests, near the young of the home insect. When they hatch, the velvet ant young kill and eat the larva of the home insect.

The female has a long movable stinger.

Velvet ants are known to squeal when stepped on or crushed.

The more you know...

THIS! 8/31/12

THIS! on August 31, 2012

1) Varassamy/Servomuto Collaboration

Varassamy is a French designer and Servomuto are a design duo that collaborate with artists to create vintage inspired lampshades. I want all of their work in my home.


2) Soak

Everyware is a group of computer artists in Seoul. They exhibit their interactive designs all over the world. Soak is a soft sculpture that starts as a blank canvas, as viewers touch it, color spreads from the touch points.


3) Dinosaur Train

Let's take two awesome things, dinosaurs and trains, and put them together in a show made by Jim Henson Co? YES, PLEASE.

Below is a full episode. You can go to the website to watch clips and other episodes.

There are TOYS!


4) Ancient Bugs

They found 230 million-year-old bugs inside small droplets of amber in northern Italy. They found three after searching through 70,000 amber drops. They are only 6 millimeters across.

Parasite Weaver

Parasite Weaver 2/13

The orb weaver makes geometry in the air

Tackles the night and makes reflection

That parasite takes its sense from it and
wraps it around into a cocoon

Makes the weaver spin camouflage

Takes geometry and turns it to lies

Hive

Hive 6/14

At its center
it is one breath
pumping in
and then out

The sound
of their wings
is unfathomable

There are wasps in Japan
three inches long
that invade and behead
any other bee in their area

They can kill men
these little alien helicopters
they do kill men

Disordered

Disordered 1/15

Are not

And others to mankind

Are very helpful

Some insects

Luminary

I have a deep fascination with fireflies. The little glowing dance they do. The way they seem to rise out of nowhere at sunset and then vanish all day.


Luminary 8/22

Firefly blinks are too much like cats eyes they are
too much the rising falling summer cool evening pulling
from the blades of green soft grasses

Feet catch on the sharps of rocks on the
breaking wave of August rising up over the fields mopping
up every dark space in the harsh humidity

With all these faces in the dark unblinking with all
these tongues licking at the trees that begin to motion
a beginning that motions a dance

Feet are a waltz of toes in dirt flowers dropping petals they are
so similar to everything and the weather is so close
the stars open up and the lights are off the curtains are vines