SCIENTISTS have reported rare sightings of “cow killer” wasps with explosive stings in Scotland.
The James Hutton Institute revealed that velvet ants had been spotted three times in Aberdeenshire within the past four years.
Before this, previous sighting of the insect were in the Angus Glens in the highlands 32-years-ago.
The insect, which is a species of wasp, has a sting described as “explosive” and causes intense pain lasting half an hour.
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Although their sting it is not deadly to humans, they have the ability to kill cows.
The insect resembles a large ant and has a dense pile of hair and are most commonly known to be red or orange in colour.
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