Bullet ant

Paraponera clavata · The bullet ant is a large ant known for an extremely painful sting, and it lives in humid lowland rainforests in Central and South America.

Also called Lesser giant hunting ant, Conga ant.

Bullet ant
Photo: © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bullet ant
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bullet ant
Photo: Joelma Monteiro de Carvalho, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHymenoptera
FamilyFormicidae
GenusParaponera
SpeciesParaponera clavata

Where it lives

Lowland rainforests from Nicaragua and Honduras south to Paraguay.

Fun facts

  • The bullet ant's sting ranks highest of all insect stings on Justin Schmidt's pain index, at 4.0+.
  • The pain from one sting can last up to 24 hours, which is why Venezuelans call it the "24 ant".
  • Workers are 18–30 mm long and look like stout, reddish-black wingless wasps.
  • Bullet ants mostly carry nectar back to the nest, holding it between their mandibles.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).