The result of his work is an alarmingly comprehensive pain index, ranking 83 insect stings on a spectrum of 1 to 4. For example, the red fire ant, native to South America is a 1: "Sharp, sudden ...

Justin O. Schmidt, an intrepid entomologist who measured the agony of insect stings by allowing himself to be stung hundreds of times in creating a renowned and vividly descriptive pain scale that ...

The sting’s pain can last for up to 24 hours, and is currently the highest rated on the insect pain scale known as Schmidt's Sting Pain Index.

Entomologist Justin Schmidt developed a pain scale for insect venom based on his experiences of being stung hundreds of times. Entomologist Justin Schmidt redefined what it meant to conduct ...

Starr, Christopher. “A Simple Pain Scale for Field Comparison of Hymenopteran Stings.” Journal of Entomological Science, Vol. 20, No. 2 1985. “Interview with Dr. Justin O. Schmidt ...

Schmidt developed a scale from 0 to 4, in which 0 was defined as the sensation of being stung by an insect that cannot penetrate human skin to 2, a familiar intermediate pain (honey bee), to 4, an ...

Only three insects were given the highest pain index of four; the bullet ant, warrior wasp and tarantula hawk wasp. The latter's sting was described as 'blinding, fierce, shockingly electric.

The pain scale started in graduate school, when Schmidt and his wife Debbie were studying harvester ants at the University of Georgia. One day, out in the field, he got stung by one.

The scale is based on a thousand or so personal stings from over 80 insect groups, plus ratings by various colleagues. Insects sting to improve their lives and increase their opportunities.

The scale is based on a thousand or so personal stings from over 80 insect groups, plus ratings by various colleagues. Insects sting to improve their lives and increase their opportunities.

Schmidt calls the bullet ant the "holy grail of stinging insects." He ranks its sting as a 4 out of 4: "Pure, intense, brilliant pain.