The name of the 24-hour ant has a special meaning because it alludes to the sting effect.
Your German name is deceptive. Because with the designation as a 24-hour ant, every layperson actually associates the lifespan of the insect. Like the mayfly. But in the case of the two and a half to three and a half centimeters large Praponera clavata , the name has a different background, which is extremely nasty for humans. One that has also given her the reputation of a “Bullet Ant” or “Bullet Ant”, as echo24.de reports.
The 24-hour ant, which occurs in South and Central America, is one of the largest species in its family and, in contrast to the Argentine ant, which has now also been introduced to Germany, only forms very small colonies. According to the Natural History Museum in Vienna, the animals are considered “very capable of learning and not aggressive”. Unless they’re defending their territory. Then they sting, with dire consequences for animals and humans.
| kind | 24-hour ant (Praponera clavata) |
| family | Ants (Formicidae) |
| Happen | South and Central America |
| food | Plant parts and nectar as well as a small part of insects |
| poison | Poneratoxin (nerve poison) |
Worst insect bite in the world: extreme pain in humans
Because Praponera clavata is one of the three most dangerous ants in the world. And this despite the fact that their sting, unlike that of the red fire ant, is not life-threatening. But why is it then that smaller animals give 24-hour ants a wide berth and that people should also avoid them as much as possible? The reason for this is the venom that the animals inject when they see their territory violated.
The poison of the 24-hour ant is poneratoxin. A neurotoxin that is completely harmless to humans compared to that of the redback spider, but still packs a punch. Because there is pain that is described as being burned alive. forschung-und-wissen.de notes: “Reactions to the poison are varied, painful phases are repeatedly accompanied by severe tremors and sweating.” And: the pain lasts for 24 hours. This also explains the German name of this ant species.
24-hour ant: Highest level for humans on the sting pain scale
The American entomologist Justin Orvel Schmidt allowed himself to be stung by 150 insects from all over the world – and classified the intensity of the pain on a four-stage scale with decimal places. In his “Schmidt Sting Pain Index” (Schmidt Sting Pain Index) he classifies the sting of hornets at level 2.2. Only one insect ranks at its pain top level 4.6: the 24-hour ant. Schmidt writes:
- “Pure, intense, radiant pain. It’s like walking over hot coals with a three-inch rusty nail stuck in your heel.”
American YouTuber, nature educator and Animal Planet presenter Nathaniel “Coyote” Peterson can only attest to the extreme pain when he gets stabbed in the arm by a 24-hour ant for one of his videos. Screaming in pain, Peterson throws himself to the ground as if he had been shot by a bullet. As a result, he breaks out in a sweat, wheezing from “severe muscle spasms and sudden stiffness in the neck,” while visibly puffing up under his eyes.
Stings of the 24-hour ant as a ritual
The Sateré-Mawé living in the Brazilian Amazon region use the 24-hour ants for an initiation ritual, as the Vienna Natural History Museum writes. Adolescent men from the age of about ten have to wear a glove made of plant fibers for ten minutes, which is studded with numerous ants. “Only boys who can endure the pain of ant stings are eligible for leadership positions in the tribe.”
After ant sting: people are in extreme pain for 24 hours
“Coyote” Peterson has to endure this extreme pain for a whole day until it finally disappears on its own without permanent damage. According to forschung-und-wissen.de , however, “cooling the area with ice” or “administering the antiserum diphenhydramine” can bring some relief after a 24-hour ant sting. Time will do the rest.
