# The Bullet Ant



## Knight~Ryder (Dec 2, 2007)

Paraponera is a genus of ant consisting of a single species, the so-called bullet ant (P. clavata), named on account of its powerful and potent sting, *which is said to be as painful as being shot with a bullet.* It is called by the locals "Hormiga Veinticuatro" or "24-hour ant", from the 24 hours of pain that follow a stinging. The bullet ant inhabits humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua south to Paraguay. Workers are 18-25 mm long and look like stout, reddish-black, wingless wasps.










Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraponera

1.0 Sweat bee: Light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm. 
1.2 Fire ant: Sharp, sudden, mildly alarming. Like walking across a shag carpet & reaching for the light switch. 
1.8 Bullhorn acacia ant: A rare, piercing, elevated sort of pain. Someone has fired a staple into your cheek. 
2.0 Bald-faced hornet: Rich, hearty, slightly crunchy. Similar to getting your hand mashed in a revolving door. 
2.0 Yellowjacket: Hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W. C. Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue. 
2.x Honey bee and European hornet: Like a matchhead that flips off and burns on your skin. 
3.0 Red harvester ant: Bold and unrelenting. Somebody is using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail. 
3.0 Paper wasp: Caustic & burning. Distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut. 
*4.0 Tarantula hawk: Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath. 
4.0+ Bullet ant: Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in your heel. *

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Great, now I'm afraid of paper wasps. Thanx.


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

I'm heading to Philly tomorrow to the Academy of Natural Science. My son wants to see the dinosaur museum so we're heading there. Anyways, August is supposibly bug month there, and they're supposed to have various bugs on display. I'll snap some pictures for you bug lovers.


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## datchison (Dec 3, 2007)

Interesting my bro, I never knew those existed.


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## Knight~Ryder (Dec 2, 2007)

datchison said:


> Interesting my bro, I never knew those existed.


Theres probably one crawling in your pants right now. 

Check out this video of a tribe using them for young adults to become men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WQ6rFKhyn0


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2008)

I've been stung by yellowjackets and honey bees, and I'd say their definitions of the pain are an exaggeration. :razz: I've also been stung by fire ants, but they can be much worse, because you typically don't get stung by just one. lol

This bullet ant sounds pretty nasty though.


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