The Insect Nothing Messes With: Meet the Velvet Ant

Big or small, most creatures end up on something else's dinner menu. But the velvet ant combines a ton of defenses into one very unappetizing package. 

Hosted by: Michael Aranda

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[chrisalan]

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that someone got to paint a waxworm as part of their daily job

[soronir]

"We humans will never be as hardcore as Velvet Ants"


*Not with that attitude*

[pasel]

“It takes about 5x the force to crush a velvet ant as it does to squish a bald faced hornet”. Oh, ok. That explains everything lol.

[rodrigoborges]

"no one wants to be eaten"

*Parasite eggs have entered the chat*

[gregoryfenn]

No animals were harmed in the research referenced here.

Not for ethical reasons. The scientists just couldn’t crush the tough, slippery exoskeleton

[genobreaker]

Red Velvet Ants are genuinely terrifying. They can hiss. HISS. You can hear the things. Or jump on them and grind your heel into them and they just walk away.

[VerbalLearning]

Did the scientists try to see if Honey Badgers would eat Velvet Ants?

[zeykriid]

Michael: no one WANTS to be eaten
me: ... [looks at deviantart] ... idk about that man

[mememastodon]

Can we acknowledge how majestic Michael's hair is getting?

[shelbyrorrer]

As a kid I messed with all things. The velvet ant, or cow ant, was quick to tell me it was not to be messed with. That was one of the most painful stings I have ever had! She looked so soft and pretty though. I felt truly betrayed.

[ikeorch]

I have seen fire ants tear a velvet ant part. I remember watching and just being amazed at both how large the stinger was because it kept coming out trying to sting the ants, and how the ants were able to take it down and literally tear it into pieces limb from limb. I know the video mentions that almost nothing eats them, but I can only assume these fire ants devoured what was left over.

[uprightape]

You forgot....the males are "showy" beautiful, stingless, harmless, peaceful nectar feeders that spend their days looking for flowers and Ladies. Tough life.
Edit: I male Hymenopterans (wasps, ants, bees) are stingless.

[CommieSpartan]

"The insect nothing messes with"... Coyote Peterson says hi

[zero]

0:56 thanks for putting that in context. Really cleared a lot up for me.

[Nihilnovus]

Definitely maxed out on defense and attack points and has decent HP to boot

[Nhojneirbo]

Funny that they are named Velvet, which is so pleasant to touch.

[SalvadorDolbyvsZAWARUDO]

The Velvet Ant is what happens when you pick assassin and invest all your stats into Defense.

[wa_custos]

SciShow: No one wants to be eaten

The many parasites who need to be eaten to complete their life cycle: Am I a joke to u?

[rickseiden]

"Five times a tough." I'm now picturing some scientific instrument used to measure small forces covered in insect guts with a broken gauge and a Velvet Ant walking away from it.

[IntrepidFraidyCat]

I remember seeing a velvet ant in a textbook when I was a kid. I wanted one as a pet.🐜🐜🐜 Ooo! They should make the next Antman movie with a velvet ant!