Most creatures that sting do so purely as a defense for themselves or their home. They are not naturally aggressive but become fiercely protective when they perceive a threat. This behavior ensures the survival of their colony and its valuable resources, such as larvae and stored food.
The act of stinging involves injecting a complex venom through a sharp, specialized organ. This venom is a potent cocktail of chemicals designed to cause immediate pain and inflammation in a perceived predator. For the target, this results in the familiar sharp, burning sensation and swelling around the site of the puncture.
For a small percentage of the population, this venom triggers a severe and dangerous allergic reaction. The body’s immune system overreacts, potentially causing widespread hives, swelling of the airways, and a life-threatening drop in blood pressure. This medical emergency requires immediate treatment.
These animals can be broadly grouped by their social habits. Some form large, complex communities with a single breeding queen and many workers, who are the ones that typically defend the nest. Others are solitary, living alone and using their sting primarily to hunt prey or parasitize other creatures for their young.
Stinging Insects
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
- Identification: Golden-brown and black striped, hairy, robust bodies. They carry pollen on their hind legs.
- Behavior: Live in large, perennial colonies often in man-made hives or hollow trees. Not aggressive unless the hive is threatened.
- Sting: Barbed stingers. The stinger and venom sac tear from the bee’s abdomen after stinging, causing it to die. This means a hive can only sting once en masse. Their venom is designed to alert other bees to the threat (via alarm pheromones).
Bumble Bee (Bombus spp.)
- Identification: Large, robust, and very hairy with black and yellow (sometimes orange) bands.
- Behavior: Social, living in small ground-level colonies (often in old rodent burrows). They are generally docile.
- Sting: Smooth stingers, so they can sting multiple times. However, they are very reluctant to sting. Only the female workers and queen can sting.
Paper Wasp (Polistes spp.)
- Identification: Slender with long legs that dangle in flight. Bodies are narrow-waisted with brown, black, and yellow markings. Their nests are iconic, open-comb “umbrella” shapes, often under eaves.
- Behavior: Less aggressive than yellowjackets but will defend their nest. They are beneficial predators of caterpillars.
- Sting: Can sting repeatedly. Their sting is often described as sharp and piercing.
Yellowjacket (Vespula spp. and Dolichovespula spp.)
- Identification: Black and bright yellow bold stripes. Shorter, thicker bodies than paper wasps. Two main types: ground-nesting and aerial-nesting (like the Bald-Faced Hornet).
- Behavior: Highly aggressive, especially in fall. They are scavengers, attracted to sugary drinks, meat, and garbage. They live in large, enclosed paper nests.
- Sting: Smooth stinger means multiple, painful stings. They are responsible for the majority of human stings.
Bald-Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)
- Identification: Actually a type of yellowjacket, not a true hornet. Black with white or ivory-colored patterns on its face and abdomen. Builds large, gray, football-shaped aerial nests.
- Behavior: Extremely territorial and will aggressively defend their nest, often stinging repeatedly on the head.
- Sting: Smooth stinger. Their venom is potent, and their sting is particularly painful.
European Hornet (Vespa crabro)
- Identification: The only true hornet in North America. Large (over 1 inch), with brown, red, and yellow markings. Nests are large, papery, and often in hollow trees or wall voids.
- Behavior: Less aggressive than yellowjackets but will defend their nest. They are nocturnal and attracted to lights.
- Sting: Very painful due to their large size. Can sting repeatedly.
Asian Giant Hornet / “Murder Hornet” (Vespa mandarinia)
- Identification: Extremely large (up to 2 inches), with a massive orange head and prominent eyes, and a dark brown/orange striped abdomen.
- Behavior: Native to Asia, but found in limited areas of the Pacific Northwest. They are apex predators that attack honey bee hives. They are not aggressive toward humans unless provoked.
- Sting: Extremely potent venom and a long stinger. Their sting is medically significant and can be fatal even to non-allergic individuals if stung multiple times.
Mud Dauber Wasp (Sceliphron spp. & Chalybion spp.)
- Identification: Long, slender, thread-waisted bodies. Often solid black or black with a metallic blue sheen. They build distinctive mud tubes on walls.
- Behavior: Solitary. They paralyze spiders, seal them in their mud nests as food for their larvae. They are not aggressive.
- Sting: Rarely sting humans. Their sting is used primarily for hunting spiders.
Cicada Killer Wasp (Sphecius speciosus)
- Identification: Very large (up to 2 inches), rusty head and thorax, black and yellow striped abdomen.
- Behavior: Solitary and ground-nesting. They hunt cicadas to feed their young. Males are territorial but cannot sting (no stinger). Females are non-aggressive unless handled.
- Sting: The female’s sting is one of the most painful of any insect, but she is incredibly reluctant to use it on humans.
Potter Wasp (Eumenes spp.)
- Identification: Small, black with white or yellow markings. They have a very narrow “petiole” (waist) and a bulbous abdomen.
- Behavior: Solitary. Builds small, clay jug-like nests for its larvae. Preys on caterpillars.
- Sting: Only stings if severely provoked.
Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa spp.)
- Identification: Large, resembling bumble bees, but with a shiny, mostly hairless, black abdomen.
- Behavior: Solitary. They bore round holes into untreated wood to create nests. Males are territorial and may hover near humans but cannot sting. Females can sting but are very docile.
- Sting: Only the female can sting, and she rarely does unless grabbed or pressed.
Mason Bee (Osmia spp.)
- Identification: Smaller than honey bees, often metallic blue, green, or black. They are very hairy.
- Behavior: Solitary, super-efficient pollinators. They nest in pre-existing holes, using mud to build cells.
- Sting: They can sting, but are extremely non-aggressive and will only do so under extreme duress. Their sting is very mild.
Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.)
- Identification: Similar in size to honey bees. They carry pollen on the underside of their abdomen (which appears yellow). They have large mandibles for cutting leaves.
- Behavior: Solitary pollinators. They nest in cavities and line their nests with neat circles cut from leaves.
- Sting: Very non-aggressive. Their sting is mild and rarely used.
Digger Bee / Mining Bee (Andrena spp. & others)
- Identification: Often furry, ranging from black to brown or reddish. Many resemble honey bees.
- Behavior: Solitary, ground-nesting bees. They are important early-season pollinators.
- Sting: Not aggressive. Females can sting but are unlikely to, and the sting is mild.
Velvet Ant (actually a wasp) (Mutillidae family)
- Identification: Not an ant, but a wingless wasp. Densely covered in fuzzy hair, often bright red or orange.
- Behavior: Solitary. Females crawl on the ground looking for bumble bee nests to parasitize.
- Sting: Extremely painful. Their nickname is “cow killer.” Females have a very potent sting.
Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)
- Identification: Small, reddish-brown ants that build large, dome-shaped mounds in soil.
- Behavior: Extremely aggressive. When disturbed, they swarm and sting simultaneously.
- Sting: Unique sting. They bite to anchor themselves and then sting multiple times in a circle, injecting a necrotizing alkaloid venom that causes painful, itchy white pustules.
Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex spp.)
- Identification: Reddish-brown ants with large mandibles and a beard of hairs (psammophore) on their chin.
- Behavior: Live in large ground colonies with clear mounds. They harvest seeds.
- Sting: Potent and painful sting. They are aggressive defenders of their nest.
Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata)
- Identification: A large (1 inch), reddish-black ant native to Central and South America.
- Behavior: Live in small colonies at the base of trees.
- Sting: Renowned as the most painful insect sting in the world. The intense, radiating pain can last for up to 24 hours. It is described as “waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain.”
Spider Wasp (Pompilidae family)
- Identification: Often dark blue or black, sometimes with bright orange or rust-colored wings. They have long, spiny legs and a nervous, rapid gait.
- Behavior: Solitary hunters. They specialize in paralyzing spiders, dragging them to a burrow, and laying a single egg on them. The larva then consumes the spider alive.
- Sting: Their sting is powerful and designed to immobilize large spiders. They can sting humans and it is notably painful, but they are not aggressive unless threatened.
Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis spp. & Hemipepsis spp.)
- Identification: A type of large spider wasp. Iridescent blue-black bodies with bright, rust-colored wings. They are among the largest wasps.
- Behavior: They hunt tarantulas specifically. The sting paralyzes the huge spider, which is then buried with the wasp’s egg.
- Sting: Renowned for having one of the most painful stings of any insect. The pain is instantaneous, electrifying, and blindingly intense, though it lasts only a few minutes. They are, however, remarkably passive unless their prey or nest is involved.
Scoliid Wasp (Scoliidae family)
- Identification: Large, hairy, dark-bodied wasps, often with bright yellow or white spots or bands. They resemble large, fuzzy ants.
- Behavior: Solitary. They are parasitoids of beetle larvae (especially June beetles/grubs), paralyzing them and laying eggs on them underground.
- Sting: Females can sting if handled, but they are not aggressive. Their sting is used to subdue their host.
Tiphiid Wasp (Tiphiidae family)
- Identification: Similar to Scoliid wasps but often smaller. Black, with some species having yellow or red markings. Males are often winged, while females are sometimes wingless and ant-like.
- Behavior: Also parasitoids of beetle larvae. They are beneficial for controlling soil-dwelling pest populations.
- Sting: Females possess a sting but are rarely encountered and non-aggressive towards humans.
Sand Wasp (Bembix spp.)
- Identification: Medium-sized wasps with black and yellow or white bands. They have large eyes and strong legs for digging.
- Behavior: Solitary, nesting in sandy or loose soil. They provision their nests with paralyzed flies (not bees), which they hunt on the wing.
- Sting: Can sting if handled, but they are focused on hunting and digging and generally ignore people.
Jack Jumper Ant (Myrmecia pilosula)
- Identification: A large (up to 1.5 cm), black bull ant native to Australia, with yellow or orange mandibles and legs. Known for their ability to jump.
- Behavior: Aggressive and territorial. They have excellent eyesight and will react to movement from several feet away.
- Sting: Their sting is potent and a leading cause of anaphylactic shock from insect stings in Australia. They can sting multiple times.
Bulldog Ant (Myrmecia spp.)
- Identification: Large, agile, and aggressive ants native to Australia. They have long, serrated mandibles and large, prominent eyes.
- Behavior: They are solitary foragers but live in colonies. They are highly aggressive and can be provoked easily.
- Sting: They possess a severe sting. They can both bite down with their mandibles and sting multiple times, and their venom is among the most potent of any insect.
Florida Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex badius)
- Identification: A specific, common species of harvester ant in the southeastern U.S. Reddish-brown with a two-segmented “waist” (petiole).
- Behavior: Builds large, crater-shaped mounds cleared of vegetation. They harvest seeds and are fiercely defensive.
- Sting: Their sting is rated as sharply painful and can cause prolonged swelling.
Acrobat Ant (Crematogaster spp.)
- Identification: Small ants characterized by their heart-shaped abdomen (gaster), which they hold over their head when alarmed, like an acrobat.
- Behavior: Often nest in moist or rotten wood. They are protective of honeydew-producing insects.
- Sting: They can sting, and while small, the venom can cause a sharp, burning pain and minor swelling.
Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumonidae family)
- Identification: Extremely diverse family. Often slender with very long antennae. Many species have an extremely long ovipositor, which can be mistaken for a terrifying stinger.
- Behavior: Parasitoids of other insects (e.g., caterpillars, beetle larvae). The female uses her ovipositor to drill into wood or soil and lay eggs on a hidden host.
- Sting: The ovipositor can be used to sting in self-defense, but it is very rare. For most species, the venom is mild and not designed for defense. The long ovipositor is physically incapable of stinging humans.
Braconid Wasp (Braconidae family)
- Identification: Another huge family of small, parasitoid wasps. They are often black or brown.
- Behavior: Crucial biological control agents. They parasitize aphids, caterpillars (like the tomato hornworm, covered in their white cocoons), and other pests.
- Sting: Similar to Ichneumon wasps. They are physically incapable of stinging humans with their ovipositor and are harmless.
Chalcid Wasp (Chalcidoidea superfamily)
- Identification: Often tiny (almost microscopic to a few mm), metallic green or black wasps.
- Behavior: Mostly parasitoids, but some are hyperparasitoids (parasitizing other parasitoid wasps). They target the eggs or larvae of other insects.
- Sting: Their ovipositors are too small and fragile to penetrate human skin. They are completely harmless to people.
Emerald Cockroach Wasp / Jewel Wasp (Ampulex compressa)
- Identification: A stunning, solitary wasp with a metallic blue-green body and red thighs. Native to tropical regions.
- Behavior: Famous for its mind-controlling behavior. It delivers a precise sting to a cockroach’s ganglia, turning it into a passive “zombie.” It then leads the roach to a burrow, lays an egg on it, and the larva consumes it alive.
- Sting: The sting is highly specialized for neurotoxin delivery. It can sting humans, but it is not aggressive and the effect is simply a sharp pain.
Thread-waisted Wasp (Ammophila spp.)
- Identification: Have an extremely long, thin, thread-like waist (petiole) connecting the thorax and abdomen. Often black with a red or orange band on the abdomen.
- Behavior: Solitary hunters that specialize in caterpillars. They dig burrows, paralyze a caterpillar, and drag it to the nest.
- Sting: Used to paralyze prey. They can sting humans if mishandled, and it is reported to be quite painful.
Square-headed Wasp (Crabronidae family)
- Identification: A large family of solitary wasps, many of which have a squarish, blocky head.
- Behavior: Nest in the ground or in pre-existing cavities. They provision their nests with a variety of paralyzed insects, including flies, bugs, and bees.
- Sting: They can sting if handled, but are generally non-aggressive and excellent to have in gardens for pest control.
Velvet Ant (additional species)
- Identification: While the “cow killer” is the most famous, the Mutillidae family contains over 7,000 species worldwide, coming in many sizes and color patterns (black and white, solid red, gold, etc.).
- Behavior: All are parasitoids of other ground-nesting bees and wasps.
- Sting: The potency varies by species, but many have exceptionally painful stings relative to their size.
Africanized Honey Bee (“Killer Bee”) (Apis mellifera scutellata hybrid)
- Identification: Physically indistinguishable from the European honey bee. Identification is based on behavior and genetic analysis.
- Behavior: A hybrid known for its extreme defensiveness. They respond to threats more quickly, in greater numbers, and pursue for a much longer distance (over a quarter-mile).
- Sting: Identical to a European honey bee sting (barbed, venom is similar). The medical danger comes from the high number of stings received due to their aggressive swarm behavior.
Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis)
- Identification: Brown with yellow markings on the abdomen and head. Native to Southeast Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
- Behavior: Unique among hornets for being active during the day and部分于夜间 (partially at night). They are known to harvest nectar.
- Sting: Painful and can be aggressive in defending their nests.
Australian Paper Wasp (Polistes humilis)
- Identification: Introduced to New Zealand and Hawaii. Slender with long legs, typically with yellow and black markings, similar to other paper wasps.
- Behavior: Builds the characteristic open-comb paper nests. Can be aggressive near the nest.
- Sting: Painful and can sting repeatedly. They are known to be more defensive than some native paper wasp species.
Tropical Fire Ant (Solenopsis geminata)
- Identification: Similar to the Red Imported Fire Ant (S. invicta), but workers have proportionally larger, square-shaped heads.
- Behavior: Builds mound nests and is highly aggressive when disturbed.
- Sting: Has a sting very similar to other fire ants, causing a burning sensation and pustules.