Jamey's cow killer

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Velvet ant. Photo by James (Jamey) McDaniel

"In case you were wondering, there is in fact an ant with an inch-long stinger that can cause 30 minutes of life-changing, pray-for-death pain," writes G. Clay Whittaker. The velvet ant is no fuzzy sweet thing and it's not an ant. It is in the same insect order Hymenoptera, but instead, it's a wingless wasp.

Rex McDaniel adds, my son, James, agrees. Here's what he said, and his photo is above.

"This is nicknamed a "Cow Killer." Way before digital cameras 35mm film use to come in little canisters, that is what my Dad would put his bugs in so he could take pictures of them when he changed film. One day last year I found one of these in the yard and picked him up with my bare hands. Let me say the name fits, it was like 20 wasps stung me in the same place. And I was down for a minute. Although the pain didn't last long I will never pick one up again."

This is one insect to avoid. And tell your cows the same.

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