Bullet Ants

Habitat
Central and South America, Amazon basin to Nicaragua

Threat
Sting causes excruciating pain, similar to being shot by a bullet or impaled with a red-hot nail

Quick Facts

• 1 to 1-1/4 inch black ants
• Largest ant in Central and South America
• Large mouthpieces (called mandibles)
• Mandibles used to carry food and nectar
• Stingers in the ants' tails
• Female worker ants bring nectar into the nest
• Also called Bala Ants (bala means bullet in Spanish)

Bullet Ant Stings
Each Bullet Ant sting is 30 times as powerful as a typical bee or wasp sting. Although not usually life threatening, the toxic sting can cause fiery pain. People stung by a Bullet Ant usually run a fever and remain sick for up to three days. Other common effects of a Bullet Ant sting include:

• Temporary paralysis
• Trembling
• Nausea

Multiple stings can cause severe illness and possibly death.

Recent Research
Throughout the 1990s, renowned U.S. entomologist Dr. Scott Fallon excavated Bullet Ant nests in Peruvian rain forests. During his studies, Fallon was stung more than a dozen times. Fortunately, he fully recuperated from the paralyzing effects. In 1997, Fallon successfully captured a queen ant. He has since successfully bred the first Bullet Ant colony in the United States. You can visit the glass-enclosed colony at the Portland Entomological Research Institute (PERI) in Portland, Oregon.