Help, im trying to figure out what kind of ant i found???

Question

i live in arkansas and i found this ant that is about an inch and a half long and big and fuzzy. its fuzz is red and black--and ive heard someone call them cow ants. it looks like a mix between a giant fat ant and a wasp with no wings-- does anyone have a clue because its driving me nuts and i cant find any pics online that come close???

Answer 1

http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&k...

This velvet ant is a wasp with a painful stinger,  but they are neat to watch. They prowl around looking for larvae of wasps and bees that nest in the ground.

Answer 2

what you have found is actually a wingless wasp called a Velvet Ant...a common name for them is "cow killer"  Only the female is wingless