Scientist @IMBatUQ using sting chemistry to study pain physiology. National Geographic Explorer @insidenatgeo. Sting opinions (and photos) my own.
Joined October 2020
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264 Photos and videos
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Jan 20
What’s the worst sting? Is a scorpion, centipede or wasp sting different to a bee’s? Do those even sting?
In this account I share my experiences with the world’s stinging wildlife. I describe the sting in the style of my late friend and collaborator Dr Justin Schmidt* 1/2
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Bicolor ant. Stictoponera bicolor. 5 mm. Asia. The lights are on but no one's home. No sting. Pain level: 0/10
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May 29
Yellow-legged hornet. Vespa velutina. Vespidae. 20 mm. Asia. Instant intense building sharpness that turns bloody – a memorable misadventure with a nail gun. Pain level: 7/10
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May 22
Red-footed ant. Pseudoneoponera rufipes. Formicidae. 18 mm. Asia. A little burn leaves a blister – you impatiently tried to sip the foam off your hot chocolate and got the scolding liquid on the tip of your tongue. Pain level: 3/10
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May 15
Army ant. Dorylus sp. Formicidae. 7 mm. Asia. Happy to nibble but no sting. Pain level: 0/10
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Apr 24
Elephant nettle. Dendrocnide sinuata. 10 m. Asia. Tried out some cheap dentistry, shouldn’t have - starts as a rashy tingle but beware the toothbrush or anything remotely cold for the next week. Pain level: 4/10
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Mar 27
Bee mimic fly [WY, USA; ID appreciated]. 12 mm. North America. Cloak and dagger, but the dagger is plastic. No sting. Pain level: 0/10
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Mar 27
Note: This non-stinging fly mimics bumble bees (genus Bombus) in both appearance and behaviour. Although it doesn’t sting, it does have a sharp spikes, which when combined with the mimicry can make a convincing case for release.
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Samuel Robinson retweeted
Mar 12
Up close, the army ant Eciton hamatum is part monster, part marvel. Curved mandibles jut from its bulbous head like a pair of scimitars. Six whip-thin legs, bristling with hairs and spines, suspend its slender thorax above the ground. Then there are the insect’s innards—the tiny brain, the musculature filling virtually every nook and cranny of the exoskeleton, the digestive tract like a thread running the length of the body.
The view of this species, and 791 others, comes thanks to a particle accelerator and years of painstaking work by a team of biologists.
Learn more: scim.ag/3N5A5bR @NewsfromScience
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Our research @StingScience @IMBatUQ showcasing some surprising insights into evolution from wasp stings and frog skin – today in @ScienceMagazine science.org/doi/10.1126/scie…
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Samuel Robinson retweeted
The discovery shines a light on what has, until now, been an underappreciated feature of evolution which suggests life is not so random after all. @StingScience @UQ_News theconversation.com/wasps-an…
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Feb 20
Hairy-eyed bee mimic fly. Mallota sp. 16 mm. North America. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. No sting. Pain Level 0
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Feb 13
Small brown paper wasp. Ropalidia sp. 7 mm. Asia. The texture and immediacy of glass shards evaporating to an unremarkable itch. Pain level: 3/10
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17 Jan 2025
Hunt’s bumble bee. Bombus huntii. 15 mm. North America. Dense, hot and stabby – playing with fireworks again. Pain level: 2 #thestingofthewild #scicomm
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24 Jan 2025
Great golden sand digger wasp. Sphex ichneumoneus. 22 mm. North America. A rapidly dissipating sharpness, some warmth remaining – a playful cat claw. Pain level: 1 #thestingofthewild #scicomm
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8 Feb 2025
Cuckoo wasp. Chrysididae. 8 mm. North America. A sluggish sort of itch – lacking intentionality. Pain level: 0.5 #thestingofthewild #scicomm
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21 Feb 2025
Jumping spider. Salticidae. 5 mm. North America. No attempt, just huddled up and shows those (8) puppy dog eyes. Pain level: 0 #thestingofthewild #scicomm
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Southern Michelin ant. Amblyopone sp. 10 mm. Australia. Deceptively lifeless, before building to a fine sharpness and finishing with a concentrated itch. Pain level: 2/10
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15 Mar 2025
Jumping spider. Salticidae. 8 mm. [Darling Downs, QLD Australia; ID appreciated]. A little spike, barely perceptible – a prickle hiding somewhere in your sock. Pain level: 0.5
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29 Mar 2025
Brachyponera lutea (worker). 5 mm. Australia. A sharp, pulling sensation with remarkable tenacity – a vindictive sibling twists and pulls at the hair on the top of your toe and you can’t escape. Pain level: 2
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4 Apr 2025
Forest green-head ant. Rhytidoponera sp. 8 mm. Australia. A hint of jalapeño – you were expecting a little more bite and could’ve gone with the medium instead of the mild. Pain level: 1.5
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