Huge Hairy Ants (in my yard no less . .)

So . . . I was out back in the yard, scouting a sunny location for a photo shoot of my 2009 Holiday cards when THIS waltzed scross my bare foot. It was over an inch long and VERY hairy.

I snapped a quick pic and ran to look it up on Google.

This species is "Dasymutilla Occidentalis" . . commonly call the Cow Killer Ant because it bite is so painful it is said to kill cows (read above . . I WAS BAREFOOT).

The males have a set of transparant wings, the females are wingless (this little beauty is a girl). I went to go find a jar so I could show my husband but that little sucker could move fast and was gone by the time I got back to the spot.

(I also put shoes on)