Description

The coloration of the Dasymutilla foxi velvet ant is highly variable and may be a pale blonde to orange color and/or have markings of black, gray and red. I’ve even found a few metallic bronze to brassy colored ones! They are a medium-sized species, measuring about 1/2 inch or slightly more on average.

Please note that this wingless wasp has a very powerful sting! Not recommended for children as pets. Buyer Beware!

If you have an allergy to bee stings, you might want to think twice. The stings from these insects are significantly more painful than stings from honeybees, for example.

We make no allowance for lifespan on these adult, wild-collected insects. Please view the video below for a general tank set up reference. The species in the video do not match the species being sold through this listing.

Velvet ants are very active, interesting pet bugs and they are among the best of all pet bugs in terms of activity levels and entertainment in my opinion. They may live 0 to 2 years in captivity.

The D. foxi species is better able to climb smooth surfaces than others and so a secure fitting lid is required. Room temperature is fine though a 60 watt bulb atop the metal, screened lid of the tank will activate them, especially in the evening hours.

These make wonderful communal tankmates with death feigning beetles, darkling beetles and other tenebrionidae family beetles.

Velvet ants can live exclusively on the beetle jelly product that I offer below. They provide the moisture and sugar/fuel content to keep them alive and active. Every few days, I mist the tank and the jelly product as it does have a tendency to dry out under the heat lamp if you’re running one with a screened lid.

Video below showcases a variety of species.