Velvet Ant (Noun)

Meaning

A solitary wasp of the family Mutillidae; the body has a coat of brightly colored velvety hair and the females are wingless.

Classification

Nouns denoting animals.

Examples

• The velvet ant is often mistaken for a true ant due to its appearance and behavior, despite being a type of wasp.
• In the desert regions, the velvet ant is a common sight, with its brightly colored body standing out against the dull sand.
• Velvet ants are generally solitary creatures and only come together to mate, with the female then laying her eggs in a burrow.
• The female velvet ant is wingless, but has a very painful sting that it uses for defense against predators.
• Despite their fearsome reputation, velvet ants are actually harmless to humans and play an important role in the ecosystem as pollinators and pest controllers.