# Orange and black insect, what was that? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661 "2015-07-20T02:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/1 "2015-07-20T02:22:10Z")
No pictures, the damn thing was just too fast. We were on a gravel road in SE Oklahoma when we saw this thing. It was about 2~3cm in length, with an abdomen maybe a cm tall, a shorter thorax, did not get a good look at its head. It seemed to be furry, almost exactly like a wooly bear caterpillar in color and texture, but it ran under the car very rapidly, was under there for 20~30 seconds, then ran back out and into the scrub. I would guess it might have been doing 2 fps. Anyone have an idea what it might have been? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/2 "2015-07-20T02:26:35Z")
[Velvet Ant](http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/cowkiller.shtml) or Cow Killer Ant (actually a wingless wasp). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/3 "2015-07-20T02:27:58Z")
[Velvet Ant](http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/cowkiller.shtml)? (If so, you do **NOT** want to get stung by one!) ETA: Missed it by _that_ much! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/4 "2015-07-20T03:42:46Z")
Thanks, guys, that was the critter. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/5 "2015-07-20T07:58:13Z")
The funny thing about velvet ants I’ve noticed is that if you poke one they emit this funny audible little squeak. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/6 "2015-07-20T10:54:33Z")
I don’t understand this sentence from the link: “The immature stages are external parasites of wasp that nest in the ground like cicada killer wasp.” The larva parasitize other wasp larva? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/7 "2015-07-20T13:36:56Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I don’t understand this sentence from the link: “The immature stages are external parasites of wasp that nest in the ground like cicada killer wasp.” The larva parasitize other wasp larva? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/8 "2015-07-20T16:51:11Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I don’t understand this sentence from the link: “The immature stages are external parasites of wasp that nest in the ground like cicada killer wasp.” The larva parasitize other wasp larva? No such thing as Family loyalty in nature… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/9 "2015-07-20T16:52:13Z")
> [@pool](#): > > The funny thing about velvet ants I’ve noticed is that if you poke one they emit this funny audible little squeak. Of course, that COULD just be the poker himself reacting to the searing pain of the venom… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/10 "2015-07-20T17:36:39Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I don’t understand this sentence from the link: “The immature stages are external parasites of wasp that nest in the ground like cicada killer wasp.” The larva parasitize other wasp larva? Larvae and pupae. There are a number of parasites that parasitize other parasites, a relationship known as hyperparasitism. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/11 "2015-07-20T17:38:41Z")
I bet these wasps also have parasites. It’s parasites all the way down. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/12 "2015-07-20T19:00:39Z")
Holy crap! That thing doesn’t even look real;it’s like a stuffed toy, all fuzzy and cute. However if I saw one in person I’d scream like a fool. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/13 "2015-07-21T13:57:15Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I bet these wasps also have parasites. It’s parasites all the way down. _Ad infinitum_, [one might say](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Siphonaptera). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-and-black-insect-what-was-that/725661/14 "2015-07-21T14:43:16Z")
I like how the caption of the photo seems to be “_Helping Nebraskans enhance their lives through research-based education._” “Excuse me, Professor Cow Killer…” 🙂