If you see a large black-and-white striped wasp zooming around the beach sand this summer, don’t freak out, run away or reach for the Raid. Sit back instead and watch the show.

The thistledown velvet ant, which is actually a wasp, resembles creosote fuzz. But mimicry isn’t the reason, a new study suggests. By Sabrina Imbler At the foot of certain shrubs in the Mojave ...