nts that inflict the world’s most painful stings do so by injecting venom that targets their victim’s nerve cells. Australian green-head ants () and bullet ants (), found in Central and South America, are not to be, entomologist Justin O. Schmidt described being stung by a bullet ant as “pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch [eight-centimetre] nail embedded in your heel.” Victims of these ants have also likened the pain to that of being shot, giving the insect its name. “Bullet ant stings can be painful for up to 12 hours, and it’s a deep drilling pain you feel in your bones, with sweating and goosebumps,” said Sam Robinson, a biopharmacologist at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
