Smithsonian Magazine on MSN11d
Meet the Brazilian Velvet Ant, a Rare ‘Ultra-Black’ Wasp That’s So Dark It Absorbs Almost All Visible Light
While the distinctive coloration is thought to be a warning to predators, it also has intriguing implications for designing ...
This Brazilian Velvet Ant Is So Dark That It’s Ultrablack
Compared with other ultrablack animals, female velvet ants are darker than the common birdwing butterfly, the only other ...
National Geographic news1y
Ants, facts and information
There are several wasp species that closely resemble ants, including the velvet ant, which is actually a hairy, wingless wasp. — University of Nebraska-Lincoln Ancient ants found perfectly ...
ZME Science on MSN12d
These “Ants” Use Ultrablack to Warn Predators — and Stay Cool
This ant, which is actually a flightless wasp, sports a exoskeleton that mixes ultrablack regions ... a more significant role ...
IFLScience on MSN10d
Velvet Ants' Rare Ultrablack Markings Are So Dark They Absorb Nearly All Visible Light
However, new research has revealed an insect species with markings so black, they're classed as ultrablack, absorbing nearly ...
Natural History Museum%2c London1y
Velvet ants: flamboyant and fuzzy with extreme PPE
There are about 8,000 species in the wasp family Mutillidae. This group is more commonly known as velvet ants, a name that comes from the females' resemblance to large, hairy ants. Velvet ants are ...