velvet ant

velvet ant

n. Any of numerous brightly colored parasitic wasps of the family Mutillidae, whose females are wingless and have a coat of velvety hair.

velvet ant

n (Animals) a solitary digger wasp of the family Mutillidae [C19: so named from the wingless female]

vel′vet ant`

n. any of several fuzzy, often brightly colored wasps of the family Mutillidae, the wingless, antlike female of which inflicts a severe sting. [1740–50, Amer.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

velvet ant - a solitary wasp of the family Mutillidae; the body has a coat of brightly colored velvety hair and the females are winglesswasp - social or solitary hymenopterans typically having a slender body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk and having a formidable stingfamily Mutillidae, Mutillidae - a family of wasps