An ant that disappears into the forest floor, a bird that demands attention from mates—for these animals, an inky black ...

A velvet ant bite like “hot oil from the deep fryer” delivers an array of peptides that inflicts pain on insects and mammals alike.

Adult female Brazilian velvet ant (Traumatomutilla bifurca) shows off her superblack patches. ... [+] (Credit: copyright: Nicole Desnoyers. Image appears here with kind permission.) An ...

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 ...

Despite their name and looks, velvet ants are actually wasps. Many of these delightfully fuzzy insects exhibit bright, contrasting shades of black with red, orange or white. Their bold bodies serve as ...

Ants may seem harmless, but some species pose serious threats due to their venom, aggressive behavior, or destructive habits.

The first thing to understand about velvet ants is that they are not, in fact, ants. They're wasps, some of which are wingless, and are named in part for their fluffy exteriors. About the size of ...