With the start of summer just days away, many of us will be looking forward to long sunny days spent at the beach, by the pool, out camping or picnicking in the park. Insects also love summer. This is when most of them breed and feed .
But this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict. Insects have long been prey to many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians and other insects. As such, they’ve evolved a diverse range of defences – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.
Many ants have a sting at their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It’s not the sting itself that causes pain, but rather the venom . Ant venom contains a cocktail of different chemicals, some of which have evolved specifically to manipulate nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.
Let’s look at some of the different ant stings you might experience this summer in Australia, and how to respond. Bull ants Bull ants (also known as bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jack jumpers) are large, for an ant. Some species can reach a length of 4 centimetres .
They are easily recognisable with their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws) and aggressive nature. Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp, and unmistakable, not dissimilar to that of a honeybee. The intense pain will last only a few minutes, before it’s replaced by some redness and swelling around the sting site.
Green-head ants Green-head ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with the green tree.
