Dasymutilla occidentalis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Dasymutilla occidentalis (red velvet ant, eastern velvet ant, cow ant or cow killer) is a species of parasitoid wasp that ranges from Connecticut to Kansas in the north and Florida to Texas in the south. Adults are mostly seen in the summer months.
The eastern velvet ant is the largest of the velvet ant species in the eastern United States, attaining an approximate length of 1.9 cm (0.75 in). Adults display aposematic coloration, consisting of black overall coloring with an orange-red pattern on the dorsal surface of the thorax and abdomen.
Commonly mistaken for an ant because of its appearance and its common name, it is a parasitoid wasp species in which the females are wingless, as is true for all females of Mutillidae. It can be recognized by its distinctive coloring, black with bright red on the upper side of the head, thorax, and abdomen. They are quick-moving and often take a defensive posture when threatened. Unlike the females, males have dark, translucent wings and do not possess a stinger.
Dasymutilla occidentalis plays an ecological role as parasites and prey. Dasymutilla species have multiple defensive strategies... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Eastern Velvet Ant sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 105th most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Eastern Velvet Ant in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and September–October, the lowest months. Those are among Big Cypress National Preserve's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in March.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Eastern Velvet Ant sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Common Eastern Velvet Ant sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Congaree National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Common Eastern Velvet Ant that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Southern Carpenter Bee (about 30%), Florida Carpenter Ant (about 20%) and American Bumble Bee (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Eastern Velvet Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
