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

The sting of a female velvet ant is one of the most painful in the animal kingdom. Now, researchers have discovered that these insects have multiple proteins in their venom that make it ...

Few creatures can tangle with a velvet ant and walk away unscathed. These ground-dwelling insects are not ants, but parasitic wasps known for their excruciating stings. Now researchers have ...

Velvet ants, equipped with powerful stings and tough ... Microstructures that mimic those found in T. bifurca might increase the panels’ efficiency, capturing more sunlight and converting ...

Müllerian mimicry, a concept first proposed in the 1870s, is a phenomenon where well-defended species have evolved to mimic each other's warning signals to their mutual benefit. For velvet ants, ...

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

BRASILIA, Brazil – A new study has revealed the complex makeup of an ant found in South America that can absorb nearly all visible light. Researchers analyzed the velvet ant’s exoskeleton and ...

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 ...