Head to head
Jack Jumper Ant vs Bullet Ant
Jack Jumper Ant
VS Bullet Ant
The jack jumper ant of southeastern Australia and the bullet ant of Central and South America are two large stinging ants with fearsome reputations.
| Jack Jumper Ant | Bullet Ant | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Myrmecia pilosula | Paraponera clavata |
| Group and size | A bull ant, one of a group of large, aggressive Australian ants with big jaws and good eyesight | Workers are 18 to 30 mm long, among the largest ants |
| Sting | Venom that can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people, and a leading cause of ant-sting allergy in Tasmania | A rating above 4.0 on the Schmidt pain index, the highest, with throbbing pain, sweating, and trembling for up to 24 hours |
| Behaviour | Leaps forward at intruders and hunts mostly by sight | Foragers climb into the canopy from nests at the base of a tree, with several hundred workers per nest |
| Diet | Workers hunt insects and other small animals and feed on nectar and sugary secretions | Nectar and plant sap for energy, and small arthropods hunted for protein |
| Oddity | Males have a single chromosome and females two, the lowest chromosome number known in any animal | Its venom contains poneratoxin, a peptide that jams nerve sodium channels, and the Satere-Mawe of Brazil use gloves of stinging bullet ants in a manhood ceremony |
| Habitat and range | Forests and grassland in southeastern Australia, including Tasmania | Lowland tropical rainforest from Nicaragua and Honduras through Central America and the Amazon basin to Paraguay |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |
Jack Jumper Ant vs Bullet Ant: common questions
Which ant has the most painful sting?
The bullet ant, which scores above 4.0 on the Schmidt pain index, the highest rating, with pain lasting up to 24 hours.
Why is it called the jack jumper ant?
It is named for its habit of leaping forward at intruders, an unusual behaviour among ants.
Which ant has just one chromosome?
The jack jumper ant, whose males have a single chromosome and females two, the lowest number known in any animal.