The Schmidt Pain Index for Insect Bites ranks insect stings on a scale from 1 to 4. The sting of the Western honey bee registers at a moderate 2, whereas the more painful stings from the red-bellied wasp and Krug’s velvet ant score a painful 3. Topping the scale at a severe 4 is the sting of the South American mushroom ant.
Dr. Justin O. Schmidt, the entomologist who created this scale and received an Ig Nobel Prize in 2015, famously described the pain of a nipper sting as “pure, intense, glorious pain… like walking on burning charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel.”
This article addresses Samuel Beck’s query, sent via email: “What are the most painful insect bites?”
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com