About bullet ants: the ordinary life of unusual insects. Bullet ant (paraponera clavata)

History of the name

The ants got their name from early Spanish explorers passing through the jungles of Central America.
Travelers thought they had been shot rather than bitten by an insect when they experienced sudden bursts of debilitating pain. Bullet ants were used as initiation ceremonies to test the courage of young Amazon warriors

Coyote described the pain as "being stabbed with a hot poker"

Bullet ants have long been used as initiation ceremonies to test the mettle of young Amazon warriors. Young men are forced to wear gloves filled with poisonous insects before they are accepted as grown men.

Peterson suffered one bite but was knocked down in pain, on all fours, sweating and screaming, maintaining the insect's reputation at the top of the pain index.

Scientists described the sting in the following terms: "Clear, intense, brilliant pain - like walking on burning coals with a 3-inch nail in the heel." If after reading this article you dream of an ant, you will be surprised at its meaning.

Main characteristics

Bullet ants live in tropical forests of Central and South America. The attachment of this species to forest biotopes is manifested in the construction of anthills at the bases of trees , on trunks, and in large forks.

Attention. These ants have several names reflecting the characteristics of the species. This insect with huge flat jaws is called a killer. However, the strangest name is Ant-24. Ants are called bullets because of their stinging apparatus, killer ants because of their strong poison, and 24 because of the duration of the poison.

Killer ants do not try to bite everyone, paralyze, or kill everyone. They hunt other arthropods the forests. Humans and large animals pose a danger to ants, so these insects are forced to defend themselves.

Bullet ants have the following characteristics:

body length reaches 2.5 cm;
color black with a brownish tint;
the head is large, cuboid with rounded corners;
eyes round, protruding;
the abdomen has two additional constrictions.

Due to the size, structure of the jaws and abdomen, ant-24 is difficult to confuse with other representatives of the genus Paraponera Smith.

Briefly about ants

There is division between insects. For example, ants in an apartment are tiny in size and do not pose a threat to humans, although they annoy him. Although the species of ants in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are not considered dangerous, they, like any other insects, can be carriers of various infections, so they need to be gotten rid of. If the ants in the forest do not attack for no reason, then the ants in the house, voluntarily or unwittingly, will bite the owners upon accidental contact. Insecticides will help cope with unwanted guests. Ants in the kitchen will stop bothering you if you treat them with boric acid.

What order does the insect belong to? These are typical Hymenoptera, although worker ants lack wings. They live in nests called anthills. The queen ant is responsible for the reproduction of ants. Externally, the uterus is slightly different from ordinary females. It is large in size and has wings, which it gnaws off after fertilization.

The lifestyle of insects is unique: reproduction is possible not only after fertilization of the uterus. She lays eggs in any case, only new queens and workers emerge from fertilized ones, and males from unfertilized ones. Now let’s highlight those types of ants whose bites pose a threat to human health:

bullet ant - its very name makes you shiver. Paraponera clavata not only bites painfully, but also has a menacing appearance. Only the dimensions of its sting reach 3.5 mm in length. The insect venom contains ponerotoxin. This substance causes unbearable pain and paralysis. Clavata can only be found in Central and South America;
Carpenter ants are the largest ants in the world, their size reaches 3 cm (in females). Weight maximum – 380 mg. It is found mainly in the tropical forests of Thailand. It feeds on mushrooms, other ants and termites. It consumes particularly large prey, large insects, as needed;
fire ants - when it comes to the most dangerous ants in the world, the first to come to mind are red ants, which are also known as fire ants. Distributed in South America, they are small in size and extremely toxic;
Pharaoh ants are also called ship ants. They are the ones who fill houses and settle next to people. Egypt is considered the birthplace of household ants, but now the insect is distributed throughout the world. The individuals do not bite painfully, but their very presence in the house causes concern; in addition, domestic ants are a great nuisance to small children. The length of the female is 3-5 mm;
nomadic ants are individuals capable of migrating long distances. They live mainly in South America and Africa. One type of these ants are wandering ants, also known as killer ants. They are aggressive and attack even small animals - lizards, frogs;
Bulldog ants - of all types of insects, this species is the most dangerous. Its bite causes severe allergic reactions, and the cause of pain, which lasts for several days, is considered to be strong poison;
Harvester ants are insects up to 8 mm in size. They are shy and try to avoid people. The jaws of such an ant are extremely strong. An insect can even gnaw through an insulating winding. The reaper's attacks are painful due to the very powerful sting;
red ants - second name - forest ants. Distributed in Eurasia. They got their name because of their color - the insects are brownish-red with a dark head. Play an important role in forest protection;
African tree-dwelling ants are known as weavers or tailors. They live in the tropics and subtropics. They use silk to build nests in trees, less often - directly on the surface of the soil. They are located 60 cm or higher from the ground. They protect their tree from attacks by other insects. There is also the Asian tailor ant, which lives in India and Asia. The insect has powerful jaws and is distinguished by an aggressive disposition.

Social order plays a huge role in the life and reproduction of insects. Builders, workers, “nannies”, and soldiers live in anthills. Flying males use their wings during swarming and die after fertilization. Insects have a strict hierarchy, and failure to maintain order is severely punished.

Information about character and lifestyle

Paraponera clavata is characterized by a very developed social structure. Such an ant throughout his life does what he is supposed to do in the family. The colony includes builders, breadwinners, and a female responsible for procreation. They are most often active at night, since at this time they get food. The main principles of the colony are peace and mutual assistance.

But it is worth noting that they do not like their relatives from other families, and clashes and clan enmity often arise. Arthropods dig a deep hole in order for a large family to settle there. Caring for offspring is the responsibility of males and females. The adult, which is responsible for the food production process, brings food products for the larvae, as well as the queen (they almost never leave the nest).

The foraging process is carried out on trees or forest floors, and working individuals can leave the anthill at a distance of more than 40 meters. They develop a special strategy for searching for food, during which each is responsible for completing a specific mission. When returning home, 40 percent of the group brings liquid, 20 percent brings dead pests, and the rest are responsible for vegetation.

Ants that bring cargo have a higher speed of movement than individuals without cargo. If there is a food source close to the nest, they choose it exclusively. It should be noted that the nest is guarded by special guards - groups of several individuals. If an incomprehensible situation arises, they begin to survey the area, and if a dangerous moment arises, the entrance and exit are closed, as well as a warning to other relatives about the onset of danger.

Speaking about the attitude of Bullets towards humans or other creatures, they will not become aggressive until they feel danger. If you approach their home or try to catch it, they will first begin to warn by hissing and secreting a bad-smelling liquid, thereby indicating danger.

Then they insert a sting and release a paralytic poison. Allergy sufferers may face particular harm, and the bite can be fatal.

Lifestyle, reproduction

The bullet ant leads a social lifestyle. They live in small colonies, the number of individuals in which rarely exceeds 1000.

Nests

She builds her nests at the base of tree trunks, less often - right on them. Sometimes insects dig houses 60 cm or more deep into the ground. Such a dwelling can be roughly compared to a vertical corridor with numerous galleries extending in different directions. But wherever the nest is built, there is always only 1 entrance and 1 exit. A guard post of 2 individuals is always on duty near the entrance. Sensing danger, they give a signal to the soldiers and then, together with them, examine the area around the nest within a radius of 30 cm to detect the source of the threat.

Relations between anthills located not far from each other cannot be called friendly. Bullet ants often quarrel with their neighbors and wage real fierce battles, each defending their own territory of residence and food production.

Nutrition

Paraponera Clavata search for food (forage) only in the dark. They do this more often on trees, in search of insects (including dead ones) or nutritious tree sap obtained from an incision made in the bark.

Scattering around in search of food, bullet ants leave marks on their way (they release pheromones), along which they return to the nest.

Ants kill particularly large prey (large insects or small invertebrate animals) on the spot, but delivering it to the nest is more complicated. Such trophies are too large for one ant to carry them to the nest, so in such cases they act collectively: they cut the carcass into pieces with their powerful jaws and take them home in small pieces. Adult ants feed this food to their offspring, which are able to eat on their own and do not require preliminary grinding of food.

Like most ant species, bullet ants have a sweet tooth. They happily feast on nectar or sweet plant substances and juices. They carry such a tasty treat to the nest, drop by drop, held between the jaws, and there they treat their relatives, the queen and the larvae.

Reproduction

The queen (queen, queen) is directly responsible for increasing the size of the family. Like other species of ants, it is constantly cared for; it knows no shortage of food. Good food is very important for the uterus, because she is forced to constantly bear eggs and thereby increase her genus.

Paraponera clavata are amazing ants, but the fact that they are not widespread everywhere cannot but rejoice, because you would not wish anyone to encounter this insect face to face at the moment of its warlike mood.

Appearance and habitat

All bullet ants have the same color - black-brown, and the members of the family do not differ much from each other:

foragers are the smallest, their length reaches 2.5 centimeters;
females grow up to 3 centimeters.

Photos of the bullet ant show that the queen ant is similar to other individuals, but has a more rounded abdomen.

The eggs of Paraponera Clavata (paraponera) resemble rice in shape and are pale yellow in color.

On a note!
Each individual has a long stinger and a large head with powerful mandibles. The ant's legs and body are covered with light spines that look like thin needles.

You can meet bullet ants in the territory from Nicaragua to Paraguay. In tropical forests they are found in the roots of trees and less often on the trunks themselves. On average, one hectare of forest is inhabited by four ant colonies.

Bullet Ant. Photo

Lifestyle, reproduction

The bullet ant leads a social lifestyle. They live in small colonies, the number of individuals in which rarely exceeds 1000.

Nests

Nutrition

Scattering around in search of food, bullet ants leave marks on their way (they release pheromones), along which they return to the nest.

Reproduction

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Habitat

Bullet Ant Habitat

Residents of Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Paraguay can meet such a dangerous ant. It is also found throughout Central and South America, including areas such as Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. To build a nest, the bullet chooses fallen trees and stumps. In more rare cases, insects build an anthill deep into the soil.

For a full life, a humid tropical climate is most suitable for this species. They definitely need enough moisture to reproduce. If it is not there, then the individuals will try to go as deep into the soil as possible.

Despite the developed network of passages and communications inside the home, it always has only 1 entrance and 1 exit. The path to the anthill is guarded by a pair of soldiers. If they feel threatened, they immediately give a signal to the rest of their brothers.

On a note!
The victim is attacked exclusively in groups. The bites are inflicted instantly, leaving the victim no chance to escape.

In places where this dangerous species of insect lives, the authorities are pursuing an active information policy to prevent contact between local residents and the bullet ant. Be sure to cover the topic of how to behave if bitten by this dangerous species.

What do they eat?

Bullets are superficial zoonecrophages, meaning they can consume both carrion and live small insects.

Speaking about the diet of hormiga veinticuatro, we can note the following delicacies:

Pests are small in size, they love to eat flies, cicadas, butterflies, centipedes, small bugs, etc.;
Vegetation nectar;
Juice of fruit trees, fruits.

They look for food at night, and this is done exclusively by working individuals. When leaving the anthill, they leave a special mark, releasing pheromones, thereby guaranteeing themselves a return home. The search is carried out in most cases in trees, occasionally on the ground. They are distinguished by the ability to miraculously orient themselves in space, regardless of the time of day. Foraging for food can be done either in small groups or independently.

If large prey is found, it is divided into several pieces so that it can be delivered to the home. One individual will not be able to carry it completely, so delivery is the responsibility of the whole group. If a dead insect is found, then this is considered a fairly decent “catch”, but, more often than not, they go for the purpose of hunting small pests.

Also, the presented arthropods are not against such a delicacy as sweet tree nectar - they obtain it by making small slits inside the tree bark. The adult ant carries droplets of juice into the anthill to feed the larvae, which consume it without the need for a pre-treatment process.

Nutrition

The bullet ant is a predator. It feeds on other arthropods and small animals, killing them with a poisonous bite.

The search for food is carried out at night. The ants move 40 meters away from the anthill. They find their way home thanks to marks made using glands near their paws.

On a note!
They prefer to forage in trees, but can also search on the ground.

The food found can be a thousand times larger than the ant itself. The insects team up and cut the prey into small pieces to deliver it to the anthill.

Lifestyle of Paraponera clavata

The main diet of bullet ants includes:

large arthropods;
vertebrates small animals;
sweet nectar and tree sap.

To extract tree sap, insects make notches on the bark with their sharp mandibles. They drink the liquid themselves and take it to the nest to feed their brothers, the larvae and the queen.

Interesting!
About 45% of the foragers bring food to the anthill. The rest return empty-handed. Ants loaded with food run faster than those who go “empty-handed.”

Bullets can also carry plant food into the anthill, which includes moss, petals, and small twigs.

How to recognize

Ant bullet

The bullet ant is one of the largest of its genus.

The female grows up to 30 mm. The body length of the remaining individuals ranges from 18-25 mm.
Color can vary from red-brown to deep brown. Males are smaller in size and lighter in color.
The uterus has a large abdomen for bearing eggs.
The body consists of 3 segments.
There are very small needle growths all over the surface.
The structure is completed by an impressive sting, with which the insect injects poison.

Looking at the photo of a bullet ant, you can clearly see its powerful mouthparts. It serves not only to capture prey, but also to carry food.

An interesting fact about ants concerns their ability to communicate with each other. Bullets have another ability - the ability to make sounds. Before an attack, individuals always hiss, warning of an attack. They do not attack themselves. An ant can bite only if it senses a threat to its nest.

Description

Several related groups of true ants share a similar lifestyle called the nomadic ant syndrome. Their characteristic feature is regular migrations. Numerous colonies of insects, reaching several million, move within 1-2 weeks. They carry eggs, larvae, and the queen with them. Nomadic individuals do not build anthills; by interlocking bodies, they build a nest for numerous family members and the queen.

Adult

The body of an adult ant consists of three sections: head, chest (mesosoma) and abdomen. The stalk connecting the thoracic segments and the abdomen is called petiole. The chitinous exoskeleton protects and supports the insect's body. On the ant's head there are antennae consisting of 8-10 segments. These are sensory organs that detect vibrations and chemical odors.

The upper jaws of mandible ants vary in size, but are always well developed. In working individuals, they are designed to carry eggs and larvae and food. For soldiers, this is a powerful weapon. Strong mandibles help tear apart enemies. Insects have 3 pairs of legs; their paws have claws that help them move along a vertical surface. The abdomen of some species ends in a sting.

Communication system

There are 75 glands in the ant's body; they secrete various substances, including pheromones and repellents. Nomadic species have dozens of special signal odors produced in various situations. With the help of pheromones, scouts indicate the direction of movement of the entire column and report the location of the prey.

Ant hierarchy

The nomad ant family consists of hundreds of thousands or millions of individuals. They all obey a strict hierarchy and act as a single harmonious organism. The basis of a large colony is made up of worker ants. These are infertile females. Specialized groups are formed from them: workers, foragers, scouts, soldiers. Males are several times larger than representatives of the working caste. The main figure of the family is the queen. She is the only female involved in giving birth to new members of the colony. The queen's lifespan is 15-20 years.

Natural enemies of the bullet ant

Photo: What a bullet ant looks like

Ants of this species have quite a lot of natural enemies.

Natural enemies of the bullet ant include:

birds;
lizards;
shrews;
wasps;
anteaters;
antlions.

During an attack on an anthill, the column begins to actively defend itself. Ants do not hide in an anthill, but remain to protect their offspring. Often a colony can survive due to the death of some individuals. When attacking enemies, ants of this type bite painfully, thereby disarming the enemy. The enemy's limbs may be paralyzed by the ant's poison and he will retreat. Ants are often attacked when they crawl alone or in small groups.

Interesting fact: Bullet ants can scream quite loudly when in danger, warning other ants of the danger.

Ant nests are often parasitized by the flies Apocephalus paraponerae; they feed on ant secretions. Bartonella bacteria are also often found in the body of ants; they play an important role in the digestive system; with an increase in carbohydrate feeding, the number of bacteria inside the nest increases greatly. The most dangerous enemy for ants is humans. People cut down the forests in which these insects live and destroy anthills. In addition, many Indian tribes use these insects for rituals, after which the insects die.

First aid for a “monster” bite

At the first suspicion of a bite from dangerous insects, you should quickly move away from the place where the source of fire ants is located.
This must be done carefully so as not to cause unrest in the “family”. Usually, guard animals are the first to bite.

You won’t be able to shake off the insects, which means you need to carefully remove them from clothing and parts of the body. They cannot be crushed, because crushed ants emit a smell, through which other members of the family receive a signal of danger and immediately begin a new attack. After this, you need to free the affected area of skin from clothing in order to reduce swelling. Rinse the area, then place a cold compress on it. Be sure to take an antihistamine. Then seek help from a medical facility. Delay can be costly because the venom is a strong allergen that often causes pulmonary edema.

Benefits and harms

Bullet ants are a fairly peaceful insect; they are not characterized by particular aggression, including their attitude towards people. They most often use their stings to search for food. In addition, this is their main weapon if necessary to protect themselves and their offspring, the nest.

But it is worth noting that even if a threat is approaching, the arthropod will initially warn the enemy with a signal - hissing and a sharp unpleasant odor. Such a signal will make it clear that it is better to let him pass and not touch him, since he will then begin to defend himself. Only in case of lack of reaction and retreat, they attack.

You need to understand that their means of protection has quite strong qualities. It was not so simply called a bullet - when bitten, a person feels the same pain as in the case of a bullet wound. In Central America it is called 24 hours because the acute pain lasts throughout the day. According to the Schmidt scale/index, pain intensity is 4th place, this is the top of the scale if you take all insect bites.

Mortal danger is presented only for people who suffer from allergies. In other cases, bites cause paralysis of the bitten parts of the human body, as well as severe pain and cramps.

This side effect is due to the poneratoxin contained in the poison. This condition accompanies a person for 24 hours, after which the symptoms begin to subside a little.

Many Indian tribes consider Bullets very useful, because, thanks to the force of their bite, they can determine the readiness of boys for adult problems and life, their stability and fortitude are determined.

Their parents specially give them such a test - they put on a sleeve with leaves, where poisonous individuals are present. Such bites do not threaten their lives; after two days they return to normal life and feel great.

What is the danger?

The scientific name of the species is Paraponera Clavata. A representative of this species received the nickname “bullet” or “killer” due to the presence of a very dangerous substance that insects inject into the victim’s body during a bite. The sensation of a bullet ant bite can only be compared to a direct gunshot wound. Even on the Schmidt scale, which systematized the strength of the bites of various insects, the bite of a bullet takes an honorable first place.

Interesting!
In an Amazonian tribe, Indians use the bullet ant to perform a ritual to transform a youth into a man. To do this, they create a special mitten from plants, in which they collect a large number of dangerous insects. The young man must hold out in the prepared accessory for at least 10 minutes. As a result, paralysis of the limb develops from the pain after the bite. This condition lasts at least a day, after which the negative manifestations completely disappear. You need to endure ant bites about 20 times.

The effect of the poison is due to the presence of a special protein compound called poneratoxin. It has a strong neurotoxic effect on the victim's body. The pain symptom develops immediately after the bite. The substance is produced by a special gland of the ant. The effect of the poison lasts for 24 hours after the bite; this period may increase depending on the resistance of the body of the bitten person.

Why is a bullet ant's bite so scary?

By its nature, this insect is not so aggressive that legends can be made about it as a bloodthirsty evil creature. In a situation that is not dangerous for itself, the ant is indifferent to humans as well. But even if for some reason the insect senses a threat, the attack will not occur immediately: first, the ant will try to scare away the potential enemy with a loud hiss, similar to a whistle, and the most unpleasant odor emitted by insects to give a warning signal about a possible upcoming attack. If such methods do not work, the victim himself is to blame.

The sensation of a Paraponera Clavata bite is compared to a gunshot wound, and the pain will last throughout the day, not decreasing for a minute and causing temporary paralysis of the bitten area and blackening of the skin. Hence the popular names of this insect, which were mentioned above.

They say that the pain after such an attack is tens of times greater than the pain after a bee or wasp sting. This is not surprising, since the sting of a bullet ant cannot be called small: its length is 3.5 mm. The poison released into the victim contains a powerful neurotoxin - poneratoxin, which, in fact, causes the described pain and reaction in the body of the bitten person. For a healthy person, the bite is not fatal, and after a day the suffering gradually subsides, but allergy sufferers may not survive after this due to severe intoxication with the poison. It is not for nothing that the bite of this ant is regarded as the most dangerous and painful insect bite in the world.

Bite and poison

The bullet ant is a peaceful insect. He uses his sting for hunting, and tries to scare away the enemy. To do this, the paraponera emits an unpleasant odor and hisses frighteningly. The arthropod stings only if the enemy continues to attack.

The sting of the arthropod is of impressive length - 3.5 mm, the capsule with poison is 1.9 mm. The poisonous substance contains poneratoxin, which causes discomfort in the bitten person or animal.

The bite of a bullet ant causes burning pain and paralysis. The area where the sting entered may turn black.

The Satere-Mawe Indian tribes use bullet ants for a harsh ritual. Sleepy insects are woven into mittens that are put on the boy’s hands. Ten minutes later the instrument of torture is removed. The young man’s hands turn black and stop moving, and the deafening pain lasts for a day.

The bite only threatens the lives of allergy sufferers. It does not pose a mortal danger to other people.

Bullet ant - hormiga veinticuatro

Ants are among the most highly organized insects on the planet, but despite their size, some species can pose a serious threat to humans, and their stings can be very painful and comparable to firearms. In this article we will look at the ant species "hormiga veinticuatro" or "bullet ant". The venom of this type of ant is extremely toxic and much more dangerous than the venom of bees or wasps for humans. Many bloggers jokingly make videos about how they, with their permission, become victims of bullet ants, and we must admit that such videos collect hundreds of thousands of views. The bite of this type of ant can really be compared to being hit by a bullet, and the pain from the bite does not go away within a day.

"Hormiga veinticuatro" mostly live in tropical forests with high humidity. They feed on fruit juice, small insects and plant nectar. The social structure among individuals of this type is very developed and everyone has their own duties. Bullet ants are dangerous when they feel threatened and deliver their lightning-fast bites in self-defense.

From the history of the bullet ant species

Since its discovery, the species has changed its name. Back in 1775, the bullet ant was first studied by Fabricius, a famous etymologist from Denmark. Fabricius gave the discovered ant the name Formica clavata, from the Latin “clavata” - “ant”.

Interestingly, ants are ancient insects; based on fossil remains, it was possible to conclude that they have existed on Earth for more than 100 million years - since the Mesozoic era. Naturally, after the Mesozoic era, ants transformed, their sizes decreased and new features of their external structure appeared, helping to adapt to the environment. Unfortunately, over such a colossal period of time, the remains were poorly preserved. This makes it very difficult to reconstruct an approximate model of the structure of prehistoric ants.

However, in accordance with the current classification, Hormiga veinticuatro (more official name - Paraponera clavata) belongs to the animal kingdom, phylum arthropods, superclass Hexapods and class insects. Endowed with wings, they are representatives of the subclass of winged insects, the order Hymenoptera and the family of ants.

Bullets are predators. Moreover, they not only hunt small insects, but also do not disdain to treat themselves to carrion. Like many inhabitants of tropical forests, they have quite impressive dimensions, by insect standards. Like all ants, they live in families. Each such family has about 1000 or more representatives. The bullets are mostly black and sometimes brown in color. Each individual has a sting in which poison accumulates. It has a paralyzing effect and immobilizes small prey.

For humans, this bite is not fatal. However, the real danger is if the body develops an allergic reaction to the insect venom. Such incidents can lead to very sad consequences, even death. It is for this reason that bullet ants are considered one of the most dangerous arthropods.

It is noteworthy that earlier among the Indians who lived in hot tropical forests, there was a kind of initiation rite directly related to this ant. It consisted in the fact that boys who had reached the age of majority, by Indian standards, were put on their hands with gloves, each of which contained these stinging insects. The purpose of the procedure was that only by steadfastly enduring the bites could the boy mature and prepare for all the difficulties and trials of adult life.

Description of the appearance of a bullet ant

Paraponera clavata is quite a large species for its fellows. Its representatives on average can reach two to two and a half centimeters in length. The insect's body is protected by a fairly strong protective shell. It is worth keeping in mind that the size of an ant directly depends on its place in the hierarchy of the anthill. Let's say that worker ants are the smallest of them all. And the most outstanding dimensions of the uterus are the females, which occupy the highest level of the hierarchy.

The bullet has a large sub-square head. In front there are rather large round eyes, located slightly protruding. The lower jaw of the ant is crowned with five-segmented lobes. There are six legs, like other representatives of the superclass. Moreover, the middle and rear ones also have spurs. Each individual has a well-marked first body segment. Bullets emit a specific pheromone liquid, which in its composition is a mixture of different carbohydrates.

If you look closely, you can find small spines all over the ant's body. The most dangerous part is the sting. It is curious that its size is only 3 millimeters, but how painful are the consequences of the injection! The sting receives poison from a special reservoir, even smaller in size - only 1 millimeter. Through a short duct, the poison, if necessary, enters the sting, after which the injection occurs.

It is a mistake to believe that paraponera clavata attacks without reason. On the contrary, these animals are non-aggressive and will not sting you just if you are nearby. Bullets use their main weapon only when there is a direct danger to themselves and their anthill. Moreover, before causing pain to the enemy, the ants stand in a special position and hiss. Naturally, it is quite problematic for the human ear to hear the last sound. The queen lays eggs - they are large, round and cloudy white or cream-colored.

Habitat of the bullet ant

The easiest place to find paraponera clavata is in the tropics. Here, in forests with high air humidity, they have the most optimal living conditions. Most bullet ants can be found in South America. The forests of Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Peru are literally teeming with these insects.

Moist forest areas located in lowlands are most preferred for this species. Here, between the powerful roots of perennial trees, they dig nests for themselves, mostly located underground. There are few entrances to the nest, which seems quite inconvenient. Sometimes, if the family and nest are small, the ants are completely limited to one entrance and one exit. Any exits are always guarded - the family has guard ants whose special task is to protect the nest and warn of danger. If a threat to the nest is detected, the guards cover the entrances with leaves and stems.

Bullets can dig a hole up to half a meter deep. Typically, such an area is designed for a thousand family members. All of them settled in one hole are called a colony. It is noteworthy that there can be about four such settlements per hectare of wooded area. This is a moderately large spread, so it cannot be said that bullets are found at every turn in the jungle.

Figuratively speaking, the house of paraponera clavata is a high-rise building for insects. The architecture here is arranged as follows: the nest consists of levels-floors, long and going in different directions with two galleries. Oddly enough, bullets do not like narrow spaces: they build a nest that is quite spacious. The “ceilings” at the levels are high for the insect, the “corridors” are wider than its size.

The ants even gave themselves a separate compartment for waste. It is located away from the main building and is connected to the last deep channel. Favorite bullet tree is pentacleria. This is due to the fact that pentacleria secretes sweet nectar - a favorite treat for insects. To settle in the roots of this tree means to provide yourself with delicious food located in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the nest.

Sometimes bullets even settle down in the hollows of the pentaclery, if, of course, there are any. In this case, the colony is in a “suspended state”, which can exceed ten meters above the ground. Worker ants live relatively short - only three years. Queens, as the most valuable and rare of the entire family, on the contrary, are always long-lived - from 15 and even up to 20 years. First of all, this is due to the lower mobility of the female. She practically never leaves the anthill and is not at risk of attack, unlike ordinary workers.

Bullet ant nutrition

As mentioned above, bullets are not too picky eaters and can feed on both insects and carrion. Most often, the prey of ants are flies, cicadas or small beetles and centipedes. But they also do not deny themselves delicacies - for example, pentacleria nectar and flower nectar. They can also be found on fallen, juicy fruits of fruit trees.

According to the hierarchy of the ant family, only workers are engaged in searching for food. They can go out on forays both in groups and alone. Unlike spiders, these insects do not experience any problems with orientation in space. As a last resort, they always leave behind an odorous trail of pheromone liquid, along which both they and their comrades can find their way.

Despite the fact that workers are independent in searching for food, they often unite in a group for another reason - it is problematic to take away the food found alone. Therefore, having picked up the prey all together, they carry it to the nest. For example, this is what they do if they find a dead large beetle.

To help themselves to nectar, ants make small holes in the bark of trees. If the trunks are juicy, then droplets of nectar appear almost immediately, and the bullet can immediately be satisfied. Interestingly, workers are able to bring this treat home too. It seems to people that moisture cannot be transferred, but for such small creatures as ants, transferring a drop of nectar to feed the larvae is not particularly difficult.

By the way, the larvae are very voracious. They have strong jaws, so they do not need any grinding or processing of food - they are quite capable of feeding on their own. The main thing is to have something.

Bullet Ant Social Structure

Imagine the ancient Indian caste system. It is almost impossible to move from one caste to another. A representative of each social stratum does only what is prescribed by his caste and has no right to act arbitrarily. Almost the same thing happens in an ant colony.

Each bullet has its own clear role, which it has no right to change. There are worker ants that look for food and do the main work in the nest. There are builders who expand the nest. Security guards guarding entrances and exits. The uterus is the mother of the new generation, responsible for the offspring.

Bullets are nocturnal creatures. They are not very active during the daytime, and get out of the house in search of food when the sun sets. Disagreements and conflicts rarely arise within the colony. As a rule, Hormiga veinticuatro treat their relatives good-naturedly and are inclined to mutual assistance, searching for missing people and helping in transporting food.

But there is a fine line. Ants are friendly only within their own family. They do not like their own kind from other colonies. Moreover, they are ready to deal with strangers. Between families located relatively nearby, constant fights are inevitable. Bullets consider the soil dangerous, which is why they are much more likely to be found in trees when it comes to searching for prey. It is also noteworthy that clan members do not have clearly defined gender roles, with the exception of the womb. They all work equally and care for their offspring, completely without reference to gender.

Some workers specialize only in looking for food for the new generation - the larvae. The uterus itself does not do this. Literally everything is provided for in strict order. For example, when searching for food, an ant does not just grab everything it finds. No, each of them is tasked with finding food of one type or another. For example, a little less than half of all workers look for nectar, another 20 percent look for bugs, and another 20 percent look for herbs, stems and other plant foods.

Bullet Ant Reproduction

The period quite expectedly falls in the spring. It is important that mating is a process that does not fall on worker ants. On the contrary, only specially selected and raised males are involved in it. They are larger than their counterparts and stronger. In fact, mating a female is their main purpose in life, since immediately after sexual intercourse they die. Another feature is that individuals mate not within the confines of the home, but in an open place.

The fertilized female breaks her wings and settles in the nest. In a huge nest full of different compartments, there is also a special place for laying eggs - a special fortified chamber. At the egg stage, the offspring do not stay long - after a few days the voracious larvae hatch. Their feeding is the full responsibility of the workers, who, lining up in a chain, transfer food into the large larval mouths.

Already at this moment the life purpose of each larva is determined. This depends on those hormones that are predominantly secreted by the lower jaws of the offspring. They end up in the food they eat, so the feeding ants can determine which caste each larva belongs to.

Bullet Ant Enemies

There are, as one might assume, a great many of them. The greatest damage, of course, comes from birds, anteaters, small lizards and wasps. Natural enemies of bullets also include shrews and antlions. Only a few can dare to attack an anthill. First of all, because these creatures will not give up on their own and will never abandon the younger generation. They will not hide or run away - together they will defend the house until their last breath. Their main method of defense is to sting the enemy and inject a dangerous immobilizing poison into the site of injury. If an enemy is attacked by the entire swarm, he may become completely paralyzed in his limbs. That is why predators will not deliberately attack a settlement. They choose a different tactic - they attack workers who are looking for food alone or together with a relatively small group of relatives.

Just think, bullets can scream! And these sounds can be so loud that, even being at a distance from the hole, the victim of an attack can give a signal to the guards, and they, in turn, to everyone inside the nest. Of course, man is the most terrible of all natural enemies. It is he who cuts down tropical forests, he exterminates entire species, adapts all representatives of flora and fauna for his own purposes.

Parasites often live in burrows. They are harmless to adults as they simply feed on their secretions. Bartonella bacteria play a key role in the digestive system of bullets: they improve the digestive environment and process carbohydrates.

Security

There is currently no threat to Hormiga veinticuatro. The species is quite resistant to all environmental changes. Thanks to a coherent system of social roles, actions and poison in the sting, ants - of course, not without victims - can defend their homes. In some areas, bullets are included in the Red Book. In our country, there is a fine for destroying anthills.

The main problem that can be encountered here is deforestation and, as a result, a reduction in habitat. At this stage, active work is underway to protect forests, limit their deforestation, and transition from extensive to intensive production. People create nature reserves and parks where bullets feel comfortable.

They can exist normally in captivity - they are smart and capable of training, they often become pets. However, you should not forget about their poisonous bites. In some areas of South America, entire ant farms are popular, where bullets are also bred.

Where to buy a bullet ant

Having such a pet is an expensive pleasure. You won’t find bullets in regular pet stores—in any case, you’ll have to order ants from specialized online stores. On the portal zoo-ekzo.ru, the cost of a farm varies from 28,000 to 30,000 rubles. However, a worker in captivity can live only three months.

You can purchase individuals with delivery from China. Such bullets are cheap - about six hundred rubles. But in this case it is worth considering the cost of delivery. Bullets rarely appear on ant farm websites. However, sometimes they can be found there too. It should be borne in mind that at home you should take into account the social structure of ants and ensure that all its integral representatives are present on your farm for the harmonious functioning of the anthill. You can feed puls with sugar syrup, liquid honey and small insects. Don't forget about plant foods and water. Before purchasing such pets, you should definitely check for allergies to bullet venom. An allergic reaction from a bite can lead to the most serious consequences. Even without allergies, it is worth carefully weighing the pros and cons, studying the technique of safe handling of the ant family - in any case, the Hormiga veinticuatro bite cannot be called painless.

Pain Remedies

We used all the folk remedies, I thought maybe ice would help. We went to the restaurant. I took the ice from the drinks and put it on my finger. It worked. As long as I kept the ice on my finger, the pain stopped. But this didn't solve the problem. As soon as the ice was removed, the waves of pain returned.

The ant is a social animal that lives in colonies of 1000 to 3000 individuals. They have colonies to defend themselves. The bite must do long-term damage to create a distraction. The purpose of a tarantula bite is for the predator to release it. In order to do this, he must cause instant pain.

The pain of a tarantula bite is as if you were walking under a high-voltage power line in a gale, the wind broke the line and it fell on your hand.

You get 20,000 volts cascading through your body at once. It's electric pain. Flow-through. Very clean and sharp. The good news is that it lasts about three minutes. You won't get waves like you would from a bullet ant. It's just one super intense explosion.

It goes away within two or three minutes, but it hurts so much that you don't notice it going away. But suddenly, when you finish screaming in pain, your strength is completely exhausted, look at the clock and realize that it only lasted a few minutes. Marvelous.

Millions of people watched the chilling moment when an intrepid TV presenter forced a bullet ant to bite his hand.

Within seconds, the sting pierced the skin. The 35-year-old man was writhing on the ground screaming in pain.

He screamed, “I am experiencing hot, radiating waves of pain. I feel like someone hit me with a hot poker. I feel poison. It's pulsating."

The ant bite literally knocked the fearless filmmaker off his feet. These incredible scenes show how he reached the heights of the so-called pain index, feeling the wrath of the bullet ant.