Brazilian Velvet Ant:
A study in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology revealed that the Brazilian velvet ant (Traumatomutilla bifurca) has “ultrablack” body parts.These parts absorb over 99.5% of visible light, making them nearly invisible. The discovery highlights unique biological nanostructures with potential applications in technology.Velvet ants are not “ants,” they are a species of wasp from the family Mutillidae.Velvet belongs to the Hymenoptera order, which also includes bees and other wasps.Some species, such as Traumatomutilla bifurca (Brazilian velvet ant), display distinct black and white markings, making them visually striking in tropical savanna and dry shrub deserts.
