Velvet Ants

   Not ants at all!  While ants and wasps are both in the Order Hymenoptera, these insects are distinctly wasps, complete with stinger!  Males are winged in this species.  They are found on the ground in many parts of the Western US.  Preferring desert areas, many species are brightly and ornately decorated as a warning sign, and will make a wasp-like buzz if disturbed.

Dasymutilla magnifica