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Fluffy looking "ant" not as cuddly as it looks

Posted at 9:40 PM, Aug 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-09 11:20:48-04

It seems like we've seen them all, from scorpionsto camel spiders, it's just one creepy Arizona creature after another. Add this one to the list: Velvet ant, which is far from being soft and cuddly. 

It packs a powerful punch in its sting, despite the fact that it's smaller than a quarter. 

Take it from this Avondale family who said "it really hurt so much." 

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Little Savannah Ward said, "it felt like there was poison going into my body." 

It was hidden in the cracks and amongst the blades of grass. 

The velvet ant is named for the hairs on its body. A Valley pest control expert told ABC15 it's actually not an ant, but a female wasp without wings. The males will be hairy, but not as fluffy as the female wasps. 

Savannah was grabbing a towel to dry off her dog Felix when the velvet ant stung the girl. 

Despite the nickname "cow killer" Savannah was pain free in a day. She also managed to catch the velvet ant. 

On the Schmidt sting pain index it ranks at a level three out of four.