# Velvet Ant help



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

I just recieved a velvet ant yesterday and need some info caring for it. The cage set up I have for it is a layer of repti bark on the bottom with a layer of desert blend (ground walnut shells). I also added a hermit crab log and a piece of bark for shelter. I use a bottle cap with brown sugar and water for her food. Yesterday she spent all her time under the bark and then dissapeared for the night. I did some looking this morning and found her dug under the food cap. Now she is back under the bark. I read that they hide when the temp is too high but the room I keep her in is about 85F. Is this too high? Please let me know. I would very much hate for her to die because I messed something up. I also spray her tank a little for humidity


----------



## Ntsees (Jul 30, 2011)

If your referring to the insects under the family Mutillidae, I have not heard of anyone keeping them. To my knowledge, they have the second-most painful sting in the U.S.(the tarantula hawk wasp is the first).


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

Mine is a Dasymutilla Sackenii. A bit rare from my understanding


----------



## What (Jul 30, 2011)

They feed on nectar so fruit/sugary liquids should work. If Im remembering correctly, Peter likes these quite a bit and has lots of experience keeping them.


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

I'm more worried about how it's acting than it's food. Thank you though. Any info is greatly appreciated. There isn't much at all to go by online


----------



## Termite48 (Jul 30, 2011)

Have you determined the sex of the Velvet Ant ( A Wasp)? They live under things a lot so the temperature can be determined somewhat if it has a place to duck out the heat if necessary.


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

Rich S said:


> Have you determined the sex of the Velvet Ant ( A Wasp)? They live under things a lot so the temperature can be determined somewhat if it has a place to duck out the heat if necessary.


She is a female. Males have wings but no stingers, females have stingers but no wings. I've tried putting her in different spots of the house with different temps but she doesn't budge from under the bark. I'm pretty sure she is native to a hot area (Arizona?)


----------



## Malti (Jul 30, 2011)

if this helps...


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks Maiti, that's one of the things I'm wondering about because mine is nowhere near that active and I just want to make sure I have her setup right


----------



## Malti (Jul 30, 2011)

welcome, btw that video is of Peter Clausen he's a member here, send him a pm, maybe he didn't see this thread.

Btw any chance of ever finding a male?


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

I actually purchased her from Peter on his website. I've read that males are really hard to find but I suppose it's possible. I'm beggining to think that she may just be lazy  I may PM him though


----------



## What (Jul 30, 2011)

Survivor7, velvet ants hide, they are not always out and about unless that is how you have them set up and even then, as you saw, they will dig beneath anything available(ime). 85F is almost certainly not too warm, it might actually be a bit cool, depending on where the specimen you have was collected.

Sorry if my earlier post was misunderstanding your question, lol.


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks What. That puts my mind at ease. I'll just keep an eye on her over the next few days


----------



## Rick (Jul 31, 2011)

Was out in a sand pit yesterday and saw quite a few of them.


----------



## Survivor7 (Jul 31, 2011)

I would love to get more of them, never seen any around here though


----------



## angelofdeathzz (Jul 31, 2011)

Malti said:


> welcome, btw that video is of Peter Clausen he's a member here, send him a pm, maybe he didn't see this thread.
> 
> Btw any chance of ever finding a male?


Just a quick note, Peter is more than a member, he owns and run's this forum, LOL.


----------



## Malti (Jul 31, 2011)

angelofdeathzz said:


> Just a quick note, Peter is more than a member, he owns and run's this forum, LOL.


 :sweatdrop: :sweatdrop: :sweatdrop:


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 1, 2011)

Just wanted to say that I went and checked on her today and she was out and about exploring  thanks everyone!


----------



## Peter Clausen (Aug 1, 2011)

I was out of town for a couple days. A heat lamp on top of the cage activates them. Warm velvet ants will spend part of the day zipping around the cage. Problem is, a single velvet ant doesn't need much space and a lamp on top of a cage usually means you're running a ten gallon setup. It's for this reason I keep my velvet ants and my blue death feigning beetles in a communal cage. It helps to justify the practicality and expense of keeping a 60 Watt bulb running for 6-8 hours most days. Also, multiple bugs means they're disturbing each other more often and like bumper cars they're getting each other going. Makes for a more interesting display.

So, I feed them watered down maple syrup or watered down honey. I also toss in some bits of various fruits and the velvet ants will be seen sipping the juices on these. These are the cited velvet ant "staples" in captivity. I've also had success keeping them on the red hummingbird liquid if you don't want to mix. A heat lamp can dry out the little caps/lids of sugarwater mixture in a day or so, to the point where your pet bug can almost feel like a chore. Having some of that hummingbird liquid onhand means a quicker refill. Actually, because the lid usually dries out before the sugarwater is consumed, there is often some sugary residue or thickened syrup. I just use my misting bottle on a spray setting to fill the cap back up and I'm usually good for another day or two.

The bulb is in a cone shaped hood on top of a screened cage, more towards one end. I provide some opportunities for cover with rocks and wood, etc. They choose what temperature range they want to be in for the most part.

Velvet ants are pretty cute in the first place, but an individual will often utilize the same retreat each evening--like tucking itself into bed for the night in the same spot in a cage full of options.

All my care suggestions are based on ideals. Bugs are very forgiving pets and I've got a lot of them to watch over.

That D. sackenii is the only one I've seen of the species. It was collected in S. California. I do hope to get more in soon. The only one I have presently is a very unusual red and black one collected in Arizona. My daughter's pet "Ruby" died recently. She was a SE "cowkiller".


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks Peter, that's a lot of good info I'll take into consideration. I might try a small desk lap for now. It won't put out a lot of heat but I do have her in a small tank. She vanished again tonight so I assume she is back under the cap. She has really earned her name Spook  I'll just try to relax more and let her do her thing.


----------



## d17oug18 (Aug 2, 2011)

i would love to get a male and female of these just to see the life cycle! especially if there seen in s cali!!! How do i find these little buggies =)


----------



## What (Aug 2, 2011)

Males are seldom seen but will come to lights and can fly, I think I have one or two in my pinned collection (or...in a cup of things to be pinned, lol). Females are, in all species I know of, wingless and most species' larvae are parasites of ground dwelling bee and wasp larvae. You would likely not be able to witness their life cycle...

And yes, the females are common in SoCal, if you know where and how to look.


----------



## yen_saw (Aug 2, 2011)

Ntsees said:


> If your referring to the insects under the family Mutillidae, I have not heard of anyone keeping them. To my knowledge, they have the second-most* painful sting *in the U.S.(the tarantula hawk wasp is the first).


Yes from what I have heard from people who've stung by one i'm just glad to have avoid getting stung so far. The size of the stinger from a dead red velvet ant.






I kept the red velvet ant on a layer of sand with a piece of bark. Feeding them honey or small piece of fruits like pear and grape. They usually live for a long time, at least 6 months in captivity.


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 3, 2011)

That's a beatifully colored velvet ant Yen. I've seen a couple pics of blue ones as well that are gorgeous


----------



## yen_saw (Aug 4, 2011)

Thanks, i think those are _Dasymutilla occidentalis_, probably the largest velvet ant in the US.


----------



## yeatzee (Aug 18, 2011)

Bump  

I caught one the other day and put it in a cup up stairs before heading off to a movie. I came back and the dang thing escaped some how! I searched and searched but couldn't find it.... sure enough yesterday I was sitting on the kitchen table down stairs and it just casually crawled by  

So I should pick up some sand and keep her in a critter keeper and im good to go?


----------



## zonbonzovi (Aug 18, 2011)

Beautiful shots of a cool native, Yen.

yeatzee, they're pretty easy to keep. I've only seen them in sandy areas in the South &amp; Southwest(and a really cool black &amp; white beastie in Costa Rica). I still have one from Peter that lives in a communal desert beetle tank. Very comical to see her sharing a fruity snack with a beetle many times her size, without a care.


----------



## yeatzee (Aug 18, 2011)

zonbonzovi said:


> Beautiful shots of a cool native, Yen.
> 
> yeatzee, they're pretty easy to keep. I've only seen them in sandy areas in the South &amp; Southwest(and a really cool black &amp; white beastie in Costa Rica). I still have one from Peter that lives in a communal desert beetle tank. Very comical to see her sharing a fruity snack with a beetle many times her size, without a care.


Well i just got her cage setup with a small "bowl" I made from a bottle cap dug into the sand filled with a syrup and water mix. She immediately chugged my concoction and dug a couple holes next to a stick I added  

I don't want her to die but man could I get some incredible shots of her if she did!

As a side note, I went out to get the sand from where I caught her originally and sure enough I spotted a male! Beautiful insect, a bright red-orange color. I went in to catch it but it was way to skiddish. Acted much like those extremely hyper wasps that are always fidgeting and moving about. Tomorrow I plan on going out with a net and trying again


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 21, 2011)

Any luck with the male?


----------



## yeatzee (Aug 21, 2011)

Survivor7 said:


> Any luck with the male?


unfortunately no. Im going to keep trying though


----------



## Peter Clausen (Aug 22, 2011)

Males come to blacklighting setups in good numbers. You might try that. It's difficult (for me) to identify the arriving wasps as velvet ant males, especially to species, but if you know what you're looking for it's probably the best way to obtain males.


----------



## yen_saw (Aug 23, 2011)

zonbonzovi said:


> Beautiful shots of a cool native, Yen. ...


Thanks. Have been able to see more this season, seems like drought in Texas not stopping them.


yeatzee said:


> unfortunately no. Im going to keep trying though


All the best. I have seen some males hovering arond low grass sandy area recently. Good thing is male won't sting.  

One of the Timulla sp i found recently.


----------



## GreenOasis (Aug 23, 2011)

That D. sackenii is the only one I've seen of the species. It was collected in S. California. I do hope to get more in soon. The only one I have presently is a very unusual red and black one collected in Arizona. My daughter's pet "Ruby" died recently. She was a SE "cowkiller".

OMG! I had no idea people kept these things as pets! I just saw my first "cow killer" a couple of weeks ago &amp; hubby gets freaked out about them (he grew up with the horror stories of them killing cows here in Oklahoma). He doesn't want our little girl to get stung by one (or any of us, for that matter), so...even though this is the first time we've seen them (and we've seen THREE now), we've been killing them so that they don't "get" Emily.

If I'd known y'all were interested in them on here, I would've put 'em up for grabs in the classifieds! Guess I'll have to keep an eye out for more.

Hey Peter, do you have any pics of the male cow killers? I think I've had a ton of males hanging around my mint that has gone to flower! Every time I go out there I see winged wasps on them, and they don't look like the usual mud daubers. :blink: If that's the case, we might have to work out a deal of sorts! (Got any vinegaroons?)


----------



## GreenOasis (Aug 23, 2011)

Oh, and I thought they were cute, too...all red &amp; black...but, with hubby freaking out, I knew that we couldn't "keep" any of them.  

I'll have to show him pics of that stinger, though...the common rumor here is that the stinger is "as long as the abdomen". :blink:


----------



## Malti (Aug 23, 2011)

unless they were in the house, I don't know why you'd kill them - seeing that a harvester ant, yellow jacket and honey bee are more toxic.

http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/velvet-ant-severity-of-stings/

damn I so wish to have one...maybe someone manages to breed them in captivity.


----------



## GreenOasis (Aug 23, 2011)

Because they have an extremely painful sting, we have a 4-year-old and they were right outside our house on the back porch. We often run around shoeless or wearing flip-flops or sandals, so...better safe than sorry (especially with our 4-yr-old, who is allergic to EVERYTHING.)

I should also clarify that when I say "hubby freaked out"...he did NOT literally jump around doing the happy dance &amp; screaming like a girl...actually, he just had one of the boys get a cup &amp; catch it (for positive ID, since that was the first one), so that it wasn't crawling around potentially stinging someone...but he did say "No" about keeping them.

We are fine with most bugs around the house, except the worst of the worst (when it comes to stings, bites, etc.)...so we don't like having things like recluse spiders, brown or black widows, scorpions, mosquitoes, hornet, wasps &amp; cowkillers...all of which are prevalent here. We need MORE bees, not less, so we leave them alone. And while we occasionally get startled by the odd giant wolf spider dashing across the floor, we usually just shoo them out the door or let them go on their merry way...hoping they will keep the widows &amp; recluse spiders at bay.

One of the boys caught a GIGANTIC "grass spider" (actually, I think they are usually called garden spiders or nursery web spiders), and I had planned to take a pic and show y'all, but they released it before I could. I thought it was a big ol' momma wolf spider at first, but it had the tell-tale "sunflower seed" stripes on its abdomen, so I was totally shocked...it was the biggest grass spider I'd ever seen! It's abdomen looked like a grape! :blink: Makes me now wonder if all the ones I'd seen before were just males. :huh:


----------



## Peter Clausen (Aug 24, 2011)

Good stuff, GreenOasis! I had a couple (4) desert millipedes crawling around the kitchen floor the other night after I had put them in a temporary (and inadequate) container for shipping the next day. Roxanne wasn't too thrilled to find them loose when she came out to get her coffee, barefoot in the morning. She's not at all keen on slugs, worms or "worms with legs". She told me that I owe her big time and that diamonds should fix this.

There are SO many different kinds of hymenoptera buzzing around, but here's a nice shot of a male cowkiller: http://bugguide.net/node/view/63327

I caught an Oregon velvet ant two weekends ago. I need to post a photo of it on bugguide, but I think I'll go there now and see if it is represented yet (I'm guessing no).


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 24, 2011)

I got mine a new cage this week and got her set up in it. When I tried to get her into a cup to transfer her she freaked out and started chirping. Cutest sound from an insect ever


----------



## yen_saw (Aug 24, 2011)

GreenOasis said:


> OMG! I had no idea people kept these things as pets! I just saw my first "cow killer" a couple of weeks ago &amp; hubby gets freaked out about them (he grew up with the horror stories of them killing cows here in Oklahoma). He doesn't want our little girl to get stung by one (or any of us, for that matter), so...even though this is the first time we've seen them (and we've seen THREE now), *we've been killing them *so that they don't "get" Emily.


  It would be better to let your kids learn to avoid this insect or put on a boot, you can kill more but they will always be out there.

I have collected more!








Survivor7 said:


> I got mine a new cage this week and got her set up in it. When I tried to get her into a cup to transfer her she freaked out and *started chirping*. Cutest sound from an insect ever


That's actually the sound when they're in distress. Sorry don't mean to hijack your thread.


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 24, 2011)

It's all good Yen. It's cool seeing other people's interest and experience. I know it's her distress sound and I felt bad bothering her but it was adorable and worth it, her new home is more than twice as big as her old one. I wish they were around here, I would love to get her some housemates


----------



## Survivor7 (Aug 24, 2011)

Finally got some pics of her. Not the best since she was acting weird. She started walking through her food and got herslf all sticky and the sand got all over her


----------



## yeatzee (Aug 24, 2011)

Survivor7 said:


> It's all good Yen. It's cool seeing other people's interest and experience. I know it's her distress sound and I felt bad bothering her but it was adorable and worth it, her new home is more than twice as big as her old one. I wish they were around here, I would love to get her some housemates


yea I was actually wondering how well would they do living together in a critter keeper  Anyone know?


----------



## yen_saw (Aug 26, 2011)

yeatzee said:


> yea I was actually wondering how well would they do living together in a critter keeper  Anyone know?


I have kept velvet ants together before, they do alright together, but there should be plenty of hiding spots and large floor space for multiple velvet ants living together or they will fight for the spots and making those squeaking sounds.


----------



## yeatzee (Sep 13, 2011)

Velvet ant (wasp) by yeatzee (now 17, but still learning), on Flickr

She died randomly


----------



## minard734 (Sep 21, 2011)

AWESOME!


----------



## yen_saw (Sep 24, 2011)

yeatzee said:


> Velvet ant (wasp) by yeatzee (now 17, but still learning), on Flickr
> 
> She died randomly


WOW..... great pic! I found a white velvet ant in Arizona, all kind of velvet ants are cool.


----------

