Justin Schmidt: The world's most painful insect sting

The world's most painful insect sting

One of these three creatures is thought to possess the world's most painful insect sting: there's an ant that forages in rainforest canopies, a bee that protects a hive of delectable honey, and a wasp that paralyzes tarantulas. So which has the nastiest sting? Justin Schmidt describes and ranks the pain inflicted by each insect. [Directed by Nicholas Paim, Alopra Studio, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by André Aires].

The bullet ant, found in rainforest canopies, inflicts pain so intense it feels like walking over burning coals with a nail in the heel, sometimes lasting over 12 hours. Its venom contains poneratoxin, which overwhelms the body and can cause symptoms from trembling to abnormal heartbeat. By contrast, the tarantula hawk wasp’s sting is fleeting but paralyzes its spider prey, while the honeybee’s stings, though less severe, become life-threatening in numbers. These painful defenses evolved to protect vulnerable creatures from relentless predators.