The bullet or shot ant is a type of ant, known as the Conga ant, or bullet ant, due to its powerful and effective sting. It lives in the humid lowlands of the rain forests of Nicaragua and the far east of Honduras to the south of Paraguay.
Scientific name: Paraponera*
and working ants range from 18 to 30 mm (0.7-1.2 in) in length. They are reddish and black ants with large mandibles (pliers) and visible stingers. And the ant queen is a little bigger than the workers. Bullet ants live in tropical rain forests in Central and South America, in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Ants build their colonies at the base of trees so they can forage in the canopy. Each colony contains several hundred ants; an interesting fact: a bullet ant sting is known for being the most painful bite of any insect. The pain, which was compared to being shot, dissipated naturally after 24 hours. The bullet ant has many common names, however. In Venezuela, it is called "24 hour ants" because the pain from a bite can last for an entire day. In Brazil, the ant is called formigão-breto or "big black ant." The American names for an ant translate to "one who has deep wounds." By any name, this ants are feared and respected for their sting.
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