Man Gets Stung by a Texas Velvet Ant or ‘Cow Killer’ on Purpose

Coyote Peterson is an adventurer and an animal and insect expert, so he’s naturally very curious about insect stings and their pain level. On The Brave Wilderness Channel, Peterson hosts a show called “Breaking Trail” where he investigates and educates on topics of snakes, lizards, and insects. In this video, Peterson gives viewers an up-close look at a velvet ant, also known as a “cow killer.” His goal was to get stung by the insect and describe to viewers what the pain felt like.

The video starts with Peterson tracking down a velvet ant and giving a bit of background on the bug. He explains that the creature is actually a species of ground wasp despite its “ant” name. Only the females have stingers, and their sting ranks very high on the pain scale.

Peterson gets so nervous while waiting for the insect to sting him, he has to take a break to calm his heart rate. Once he finally endures the sting, he confirms to the viewers that one should avoid getting stung by a velvet ant at all costs.

Texans should know that the Lone Star State is home to velvet ants, but these insects would really prefer to not interact with humans. As long as you keep your boots on and don’t entice them like Peterson did, you should be safe from their awful sting.

How much money would it take for you to face the sting of a velvet ant? Have you ever been stung by one?

There’s another creature with a sting that many a Texan has felt to immediate regret: the asp. After watching the velvet ant video below, be sure to check out our true stories of folks who have been stung by the infamous asp, which you can read at this link.