Flightless wasps?

[Richard]

I have recently found several "generic" wasps that seem to have no wings. These aren't the mud daubers, hornets, yellow jackets, just the typical, garden variety wasp that one sees...the only difference, is they are busy crawling everywhere because they have no wings.

Any thoughts on this? I've personally seen three (and no kids around to pluck the wings)

 

[Dozernut]

Are they red and black in color and look like their covered in velvet? If so, you have Red Velvet Ants or Cow Killers. They are wasps and have a powerfull sting. They usually invade Bumble Bee nests and lay eggs on the larva. It seems to be a banner year for them in our area, as they seem to be everywhere.

 

[DocHeb]

Here's one page with a picture of a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://216.239.35.100/search?q=cacheUHkTqWIY2oC:www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef442.htm+red+velvet+ants&hl=en&ie=UTF-8>Red Velvet Ant</A>.

Another <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesGS.asp?sort=1&curGroupID=99&display=1&area=99&searchText=cow+killer&curPageNum=1&recnum=IS0005>"Cow-Killer Ant"</A>, or Red Velvet Ant.

 

[Richard]

Answer to both?
No. We also have the cow killer ant and take every opportunity to use their carpet like appearance as carpet!

These are EXACTLY like your garden variety, every day wasp. Just the simple wasp that has the little wasp nest under your overhang. The three I've seen have been in or on the house which is why we noticed them.....they kept walking around and never flew. They all met a fate similar to the cow killer ants...they got stepped on.

I DID have a chance to look at one of them prior to re-arrainging it's exoskeleten. I have never seen one (much less three) wasps that had no flying wings.

As far as appearance goes, these are NOT mud daubers, NOT cow killer ants, NOT bees, NOT yellow jackets, NOT anyting else...than what they appear to be.... simple wasps that have no wings, and seem to be condemed to a life of walking.