Eastern Carpenter Bee - (Xylocopa virginica)

Though is looks like a Bumble Bee, the Carpenter Bee does not have a fuzzy abdomen.

Females bore into wood, like a carpenter, making holes as large as their bodies and deposit their eggs and a food supply inside.

They can be found in parks, garden and woods. They feed on flower nectar, sometimes eating through stems to get it.They hibernate during the winter.

Cuckoo Bee - (Sphecodes spp.)

This sweat bee gets its name from its parasitic behavior. Females change out their own eggs for the eggs of other sweat bees, like Cuckoo birds. The oblivious nest owners feed the Cuckoo larvae, not realizing their own are gone.

Adults are active in spring and summer and can be found in parks, gardens, meadows and other open habitats.
Adult Size (Length): 4mm to 15mm (0.16in to 0.59in)

Cow Killer - (Dasymutilla occidentalis)

The Eastern Velvet Ant (aka: "Cow Killer") is not an ant at all, though it looks like a hairy one. It is actually a wasp and the female has a severely ferocious sting that is rumored to be strong enough to kill cattle. It is extremely painful and this insect should not be handled.

Males have wings and look more like a typical wasp though they still retain some hairs on their body. Females do not have wings, but they can and do sting. The Eastern Velvet Ant is a solitary wasp meaning they do not congregate in nests with hundreds of others of their kind. They are also parasitic to bumble bees.

Females lay eggs in a bumble bee's hive. Once the wasp's eggs hatch, theses larvae eat the larvae of the bumble bee. Adults drink nectar.

Cow Killers can be found in fields, meadows, sandy areas and the edges of forests. They are typically most active at dusk or during the night. Though the female looks like an ant, her warning coloration and ferocious sting are enough defensive adaptations to keep most predators (and curious animals) at bay.