Dasymutilla aureola (Velvet Ant)
Las Trampas Wilderness Area, San Ramon, CA
These aren't ants at all. In fact these are female wasps in the family Mutillidae, the Velvet Ants. The female are all flightless and fuzzy-looking but the males are winged and look like regular wasps. However, don't let their cuddly appearance fool you - the species Dasymutilla occidentalis is also known by the name Cow Killer, after its extremely nasty sting. Of course, you only have to worry about the female. As with all Hymenoptera, only the females can sting.
