Panda Ant

PANDA ANT

The panda ant is a most unusual species of insects. This fascinating species was quickly nicknamed as the ‘Panda ant’ after its markings which resembled the markings of the giant panda. While it looks just like a fluffy ant, it’s actually not an ant at all! It’s actually a species of wingless wasp related to the red velvet ant who are also known as the ‘cow killer’ due to its painful sting which is believed to be strong enough to subdue a grown cow. They are too cute for a wasp, but do not let their bright colours trick you to handle them with your bare hand, unless you can bear the pain of their sting. They also have a tough exoskeleton that help them while invading their prey’s nests and also in retaining moisture since they mostly occupy dry areas. The other interesting fact about this special wasp is that the males tend to be nocturnal while the females are the ones that are rather active during the day. Their bright colour is a proof of their aposematic signals, which clarify them as dangerous or venomous organism. They were first discovered in 1938 and they are only known to exist in coastal regions of Chile. It is considered as one of the nearly extinct species in the world, because they are often prey of a predator due to their attractive bright colour. A small reminder to all of you, do not to give this guy even a little tickle it would probably kill you with a few bites. Click here for the video.

Do not let this adorable ant deceive you by it's look, it's very dangerous!