Paraponera clavata, commonly known as the bullet ant, is a species of ant named for its extremely painful sting. It inhabits humid lowland rainforests in Central and South America.
Paraponera clavata
P. dieteri (pictured) is the only known species that is closely related to Paraponera clavata
Paraponera clavata – museum specimen
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.
Ant
Ants fossilised in Baltic amber
Bull ant showing the powerful mandibles and the relatively large compound eyes that provide excellent vision
Ant head