Unidentified Insect - Please Help

[Mike Soukup]

Sounds like a "Velvet Ant"....which is really a hornet/wasp?   Nasty, nasty
sting I understand.  Other than that, I believe they are harmless and they are
beautiful to look at (wish I had 'em....but geez, I even like my "colony" of
Black Widow's on my house!!)

PVAN wrote:

> Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, but I am not an etymologist.
> Recently, I have noticed a very unusual insect on my property in Atlanta.
> At least I have never seen an insect like this before.  It is "bright" red,
> with black stripes, and I spotted it coming out of a rather large hole
> burrowed in the ground.  It resembles a very large ant.  I also noticed
> about 10 or more of these insects flying around one area early one morning.
> Does anyone know what this may be?  Can it sting?  Does this insect pose any
> threat to my property like a termite, or carpenter beetle?  Please E-mail
> your responses to me at this address.
>
> Thanks In Advance,
>
> Paris