Description and Biology Dasymutilla occidentalis, commonly known as the red velvet ant, is a parasitoid wasp species native to the eastern United States. The species is often mistaken for a true ant, as females are wingless, but it can be recognized by its distinctive red coloring, with a black stripe that goes across the abdomen. Adult red velvet ants are the largest of … [Read more...] about Red Velvet Ant: Description, Biology, and Defense Mechanisms