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Crematogaster acrobat ants use their stingers in defense, but they don't pierce the integument of their opponents. Rather, the stinger serves as a brush for smearing defensive chemicals on their adversaries. Here, a worker defends a food bait against an intruding Pheidole. Kibale forest, Uganda
Crematogaster acrobat ants use their stingers in defense, but they don't pierce the integument of their opponents. Rather, the stinger serves as a brush for smearing defensive chemicals on their adversaries. Here, a worker defends a food bait against an intruding Pheidole. Kibale forest, Uganda
Solenopsis invicta fire ant Austin, Texas, USA
Solenopsis invicta stinging, an activity this species performs with particular zest. To sting, a fire ant first bites her target with her mandibles. The bite anchors her in place and provides leverage to insert the stinger. The bite itself is harmless, it is the subsequent sting that carries the venom and the pain. Austin, Texas, USA
Ouch! A dracula ant (Stigmatomma oregonensis) sinks her sting deep into the head capsule of a centipede. Quincy, California, USA
Hunting technique in Harpegnathos saltator jumping ants: snare the prey with tiny barbs on the long mandibles and reach around with the stinger to find a soft spot. Laboratory colony at Arizona State University, USA
Hunting technique in Harpegnathos saltator jumping ants: snare the prey with tiny barbs on the long mandibles and reach around with the stinger to find a soft spot. Laboratory colony at Arizona State University, USA
Ouch! A dracula ant (Stigmatomma oregonensis) sinks her sting deep into the head capsule of a centipede. Quincy, California, USA
Stigmatomma oregonensis is a specialist predator of geophilomorph centipedes. Here, two workers attempt to sting the front end of a centipede while the back end pulls them across the substrate. Quincy, California, USA
Hunting technique in Harpegnathos saltator jumping ants: snare the prey with tiny barbs on the long mandibles and reach around with the stinger to find a soft spot.

Laboratory colony at Arizona State University, USA
Hunting technique in Harpegnathos saltator jumping ants: snare the prey with tiny barbs on the long mandibles and reach around with the stinger to find a soft spot. Laboratory colony at Arizona State University, USA
Hunting technique in Harpegnathos saltator jumping ants: snare the prey with tiny barbs on the long mandibles and reach around with the stinger to find a soft spot.

Laboratory colony at Arizona State University, USA
See photo in original gallery.
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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013