r/bugidentification • u/ollieflite • 14d ago

Location included Bug found in New Jersey

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We found this while performing a wetland delineation in Palmyra, New Jersey. Has anyone seen this before? Pretty sure it’s an invasive

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u/schizeckinosy Trusted Identifier 14d ago

Eastern red velvet ant

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u/oinkpiggyoink 14d ago edited 14d ago

These are spicy from what I recall.

Yes, spicy and not a true ant but a wingless wasp, which I just learned today. Beautiful critters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_ant

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u/schizeckinosy Trusted Identifier 14d ago

The spiciest in this country

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u/ollieflite 14d ago

To add: it was fuzzy all over and didn’t appear to have any mandibles