Bullet ant ritual - awesome!

Dodging bullets

Dodging Bullets

Kingdom: Animalia

 

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera 

Family: Formicidae

Subfamily: Paraponerinae

 

Genus: Paraponera

Species: clavata

Distribution

            Ants are found on all continents except Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, and parts of Polynesia. Ants are able to exploit a wide range of food resources. P. clavata is found in parts of Central America and South America. The colonies usually consist of several hundred ants and are located at the bases of trees. 

Defense Mechanism

 P. clavata, commonly known as the lesser giant hunting ant, or the bullet ant, is named for its sting. The bullet ant’s sting is so painful and potent, that scientists say the pain compares to being actually shot with a bullet. According to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, the sting of the bullet ant is a 4+. The pain lasts for 24 hours and causes waves of burning, throbbing pain. The ant injects a neurotoxin in its venom. The toxin affects the voltage-dependent sodium ion channels and blocks synaptic transmission. The neurotoxin causes slow, but harsh contractions of muscles. Once the animal is stung it cannot control its own body and has to wait till the venom wears off.  

Works cited    

Steinua, Rick (2009). Bullet ant. Retrieved from http://www.asktheexterminator.com/ants/Bullet_Ant.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VarqiOM4-Fg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRLU3HpYoH8
(word count: 203)