Bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is a tropical rainforest ant named for its powerfully painful sting, which is said to be comparable to being shot with a bullet.

Ants are the dominant group of social insects related to bees and wasps. Except for the polar regions, they flourish on all land areas of the earth, from rain forests to deserts. All pest control technicians become involved with any problems at some point in their career- most commonly because ants are found foraging or nesting inside structures, or because swarming ant reproductives are confused with swarming termites.

Bullet ant also Known As: 24-hour ant, conga ant, lesser giant hunting ant with the scientific name: Paraponera clavata.

This insects as series of distinguishing features which includes: Reddish-black ants with large pincers and a visible stinger, size of 18 to 30 mm (up to 1.2 in). An average lifespan of up to 90 days (workers).

Appearance and Habitat

Worker ants range from 18 to 30 mm (0.7 to 1.2 in) in length. They are reddish-black ants with large mandibles (pincers) and a visible stinger. The queen ant is slightly larger than the workers

Bullet ants live in the tropical rainforest of Central and South America, in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. The ants build their colonies at the base of trees so they can forage in the canopy. Each colony contains several hundred ants.

The colony also burrows a nest with different entrances on the ground between tree buttresses.

Sometimes they fall from higher tree branches and attack when they encounter a large, frightening creature, such as a human. First the bullet ant bites; once the mandibles are securely squeezing the victim, the ant turns its abdomen to sting at the same time. While this may cause some pain and swelling, the venom does not cause sickness or death, and bullet ants are not encountered in droves and swarms like army ants.

Predators, Prey, and Parasites

Bullet ants eat nectar and small arthropods. One type of prey, the glasswing butterfly (Greta oto) has evolved to produce larvae that taste unpleasant to bullet ants.

The bullet ant's sting is known for being the most painful sting of any insect. The pain, which has been compared to being shot with a bullet, naturally dissipates after 24 hours.

The bullet ant has many common names, however. In Venezuela, it is called the "24-hour ant" because the pain of a sting can last a full day. In Brazil, the ant is called formigão-preto or "big black ant." The Indigenous names for the ant translate to, "the one who wounds deeply." By any name, this ant is feared and respected for its sting.

Although nonaggressive, bullet ants will sting when provoked. When one ant stings, it releases chemicals that signal other ants in the vicinity to sting repeatedly. The bullet ant has the most painful sting of any insect, according to the Schmidt Pain Index. The pain is described as blinding, electric pain, comparable to being shot with a gun.

Two other insects, the tarantula hawk wasp and warrior wasp, have comparable stings to that of the bullet ant. However, the pain from the tarantula hawk sting lasts less than 5 minutes, and that from the warrior wasp extends to two hours. Bullet ant stings, on the other hand, produce waves of agony that last 12 to 24 hours.

Effects of it's sting

Inactivates voltage-gated sodium ion channels in skeletal muscle to block synapse transmission in the central nervous system. In addition to excruciating pain, the venom produces temporary paralysis and uncontrollable shaking. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, and cardiac arrhythmia. Allergic reactions to the venom are rare. While the venom is not lethal to humans, it paralyzes or kills other insects.

 Injured workers are common because bullet ant colonies fight with each other. The scent of the injured ant lures the fly, which feeds on the ant and lays eggs in its wound. A single injured ant may harbor up to 20 fly larvae.

Bullet ants are preyed upon by various insectivores and also by each other.

•  Action of poneratoxin on sodium channels to produce pain.  

The primary toxin in bullet ant venom is poneratoxin. Poneratoxin is a small neurotoxic peptide that inactivates voltage-gated sodium ion channels in skeletal muscle to block synapse transmission in the central nervous system. In addition to excruciating pain, the venom produces temporary paralysis and uncontrollable shaking. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, and cardiac arrhythmia. Allergic reactions to the venom are rare. While the venom is not lethal to humans, it paralyzes or kills other insects.

Poneratoxin is a good candidate for use as a bio-insecticide.

• How to prevent stings

Most bullet ant stings can be prevented by wearing over-the-knee boots and watching for ant colonies near trees. If disturbed, the ants' first defense is to release a stinky warning scent. If the threat persist, ants will bite and latch on with their mandibles prior to stinging. Ants may be brushed away or removed with tweezers. Quick action may prevent a sting.

In the event of stings, the first action is to remove the ants from the victim. Antihistamines, hydrocortisone cream, and cold compresses may help alleviate swelling and tissue damage at the sting site. Prescription pain relievers are required to address the pain. If untreated, most bullet ant stings resolve on their own, although the pain may last for a day and uncontrolled shaking may persist much longer.

The bullet ant has one of the most painful insect stings or bites that you can encounter in central America.