Dasymutilla occidentalis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 110th most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Eastern Velvet Ant in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in September–October and December–March, the lowest months. That is one of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain against 50 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.
6th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Common Eastern Velvet Ant sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Congaree National Park (United States, about 20%), Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 10%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Common Eastern Velvet Ant that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Brown-Winged Striped Sweat Bee (about 20%), Southern Carpenter Bee (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 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (9 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.
