Nicknamed by several affectionate names in the Brazil, like the hunting wasp, mata-cavalo and snake wasp, the wasp-horse is an insect of the family Pompilidae and the gender pepsis.
It gained fame for having the most painful sting in the world, according to the “Schmidt Scale”, used to classify stings.
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Present in several regions of South, Central and North America, this wasp is also known by other curious names, such as dog-horse and spider-hunter.
The “Schmidt Scale,” developed by renowned entomologist Justin Schmidt of the Southwest Biological Institute, is a tool designed to measure the intensity of pain caused by insect bites. On this scale, the wasp occupies position 4, being the only insect classified at this level of intensity.
This indicates that its bite is extremely painful and can be quite an uncomfortable experience for those lucky enough to be targeted by this insect.
Although the horse wasp is not known to attack humans, its main prey is tarantulas, of the family theraphosidae. Tarantulas serve as hosts for wasp larvae, and a simple bite is capable of paralyzing the spider.
The wasp turns the spider upside down, attacking its belly, which is its most vulnerable region. This strategy allows the wasp larvae to feed on the spider as they develop. It is a peculiar predatory relationship between these two species.
What is this story about the most powerful sting in the world?
The story behind the “Schmidt Scale” and the discovery of the painful wasp sting is quite curious.
During a study carried out by entomologist Justin Schmidt, a colleague of his was stung by a wasp of the genus Pepsis while studying ten wasps of this species.
Surprised by the intense pain of the sting, the researcher decided to allow the other wasps to sting him, in order to better understand the sensation.
This incident led to the creation of the “Schmidt Scale”, which classifies the bites of different insects based on the pain caused.
Thus, the horse wasp received the title of insect with the most painful sting, occupying position No. 4 on the scale.
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