The Sting of the Bullet Ant Delivers Excruciating Pain

In his work "Sting of the Wild," Justin Schmidt, an entomologist, expert on insect stings, and the mind behind the Schmidt sting pain index, describes the bullet ant's sting as follows:

"Paraponera is the insect equivalent of a legendary tale, one you'd recount to your grandchildren.... Being stung might make you doubt your survival, but history confirms no fatalities from bullet ant stings."

Throughout his career, Schmidt has meticulously documented the sensations of various insect stings, often resorting to vivid analogies to describe the pain, which he rates on a four-point scale. While most insects score low on this scale, three stand out with a top-tier four-star rating: the tarantula hawk (Pepsis grossa), the warrior wasp (Synoeca septentrionalis), and the bullet ant (Paraponera clavata).

Schmidt poetically describes the bullet ant's sting in his pain index: "A sensation of pure, searing, radiant pain. Imagine stepping on burning coals with a 3-inch [7.6-centimeter] nail embedded in your heel."

Why So Much Firepower?

Bullet ants inhabit the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, where they build underground colonies housing approximately 3,000 members—a staggering number for ants. Their massive nests make them attractive targets for predators seeking a concentrated source of nutrition in the form of larvae, pupae, and adult ants. Beyond the dangers at home, these ants forage in the forest canopy, where they must evade birds, lizards, frogs, monkeys, and other predators.

Schmidt explains that bullet ants, being large and active, are easily spotted by predators as they move through the trees. Unlike insects that can flee by flying or jumping, bullet ants must either defend themselves or risk falling from great heights to escape. Consequently, their survival strategy relies on delivering excruciatingly painful and venomous stings.

The bullet ant, however, would rather avoid stinging if it can simply be left undisturbed.

"Bullet ants employ multiple defensive strategies to deter potential predators," Schmidt explains via email. "They can produce stridulation, a rhythmic squeaking sound that serves as an auditory warning, similar to a rattlesnake's rattle. Additionally, they emit a distinct odor reminiscent of burnt garlic, signaling to predators that they are unpalatable and not worth the risk. Visually, their glossy black appearance acts as a clear warning that attacking them would be a losing proposition."

Painful, But (Probably) Not Deadly

While the sting of a bullet ant causes intense, burning, and relentless pain that can persist for up to 24 hours, it is not considered life-threatening to humans.

"Social insects have the advantage of being able to mount a collective defense of their colony," Schmidt explains. "If someone ignores the painful warnings and continues to provoke a bullet ant colony, 245 stings could potentially be fatal to a 154-pound (70-kilogram) healthy individual. However, there are no documented cases of deaths caused by bullet ant stings."

Certain cultural rites of passage, such as those performed by the Satere-Mawe tribe in the Amazon region of Brazil, involve enduring dozens of bullet ant stings, yet no fatalities have ever been reported.

"This doesn't mean the venom lacks potency," Schmidt notes. "In fact, just a few stings could be lethal to smaller mammals like rodents or insectivores that might attempt to prey on them."

Comparing Stings

Schmidt, who has experienced stings from nearly every insect imaginable, describes bullet ant stings as uniquely excruciating in their own distinct manner.

"The pain from a bullet ant sting stands apart from other ants, wasps, or bees, lasting anywhere from 12 to 36 hours," he explains. "In comparison, the sting of a tarantula hawk wasp is painful for just a few minutes, while a honeybee's sting causes intense pain for only five to 10 minutes."

Schmidt notes that the venom of the bullet ant primarily consists of poneratoxin, a small peptide made up of 25 amino acids. This neurotoxin targets pain receptors in vertebrates, including humans, triggering prolonged and intense pain.

"Unlike many other pain-inducing proteins or peptides from insects, poneratoxin binds firmly to pain receptors and resists deactivation, which is why the pain persists for so long," Schmidt adds.