The bullet ant is the Amazon Rainforest insect known for one of the world’s most painful stings.
Its scientific name is Paraponera clavata, and it is a large, dark ant found in humid forests of Central and South America, including the Amazon region. The common name refers to the intense pain associated with its sting, which has been compared by entomologist Justin Schmidt to being shot.
Bullet ants are solitary foragers that search trees and the forest floor for nectar, small arthropods, and other food. Their colonies are usually located at the bases of trees. Among the Sateré-Mawé people of Brazil, live bullet ants have traditionally been incorporated into initiation ceremonies involving woven gloves. The ant is not an aggressive predator of people; painful stings usually occur when an ant is disturbed or handled.