eli5: Why do different insect stings hurt more than others?

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For example, why exactly does a velvet ant hurt so much more than a fire ant?

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2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because they have different stingers and different types of venom.

So they hurt differently.

Anonymous 0 Comments

What hurts more… a needle, a nail or a serrated knife?

Stingers are just like that.

They have different sizes and shapes. Something like a mosquito would be like a needle. In fact, mosquitoes pump in a numbing agent to further reduce the pain to you. They are trying to sneakily eat in peace. Whereas something like a wasp is going to sting much more because they are telling you to go away.