The rainforest's of Central
and South America host this small but scary creature, the bullet ant Paraponera clavata. Feared by people
living where it is found, the bullet ant is one of the most venomous ants in
the world. The name “bullet ant” is a reference to the pain caused by being
shot, which is said to be the closest analogy to the pain of a bullet ant
sting. In Portuguese it is known as tocandira, a word derived
from Tupi, meaning “hurting very much”. In Spanish it is sometimes called
“hormiga 24 horas” because the pain is said to last a whole day.
The bullet ant is found in
the Neotropical Ecozone from
Honduras and Nicaragua to Paraguay.
The length of the
worker ants is up to 18–30 millimeters (0.7–1.2 in).Bullet ants are
large-sized ant species that are best known for severe sting.It is a predator
ant species. The queen ant is nearly the size of worker ants.Bullet ants are
some of the most painful of hymenopterans because their venom,
unlike most other hymenopterans, is a neurotoxin. Ant’s sting is
however thought to be an effective defense against predators.They are relatively
hairier than the relative ants.Ants have
reddish-brown hairs along with a coarsely
corrugate cuticle.
Their habitats are less likely to be found below
750 meters above the sea level. Some of these species are also observed at
elevations of 1,500 meters (4,920 ft) in Parque La Amistad.
Bullet ants make colonies that consist of hundreds
of individuals at the base of trees.
They are thought to make habitats in 70 species of
trees; two species of lianas, and six species of shrubs. Bullet ants also
occupy species palm.
They make colonies on tree trunks and lianas near
the forest floor.
Bullet Ant