Bullet Ant vs Aspinose Campodeid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bullet Ant Aspinose Campodeid
Scientific Name Paraponera clavata Metriocampa aspinosa
Order Hymenoptera Diplura
Family Formicidae Campodeidae
Size 18-30 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions Central America, South America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bullet Ant

Named for its extremely painful sting, rated 4+ on the Schmidt Pain Index. Indigenous Satere-Mawe people use them in warrior initiation rites. The pain can last 24 hours.

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Did You Know?

The bullet ants sting is the most painful of any insect — described as waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that lasts up to 24 hours without any relief.

Aspinose Campodeid

A soil-dwelling dipluran lacking the typical dorsal spines found in related species. It inhabits deep soil layers in temperate forests.

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Did You Know?

Its lack of dorsal spines distinguishes it from nearly all related species.