How does a bee sting compare with a that of a scorpion or centipede? How do stings of Australia’s wildlife compare with those of America? Do those even sting? Watch this space for an expanded #thestingofthewild, made in Australia.

Cuckoo wasp. Family Chrysididae. 6 mm. North America. A mysterious itch – like one of those itchy bites that seemingly materializes out of thin air. Pain level: 0.5 #thestingofthewild

Velvet Ant (Mutillidae). 10 mm. Australia. Niggly–a grass seed hidden somewhere in your sock. Pain level: 1

RT @BeesBackyard: Happy #worldbeeday, let’s remember that most bees are not black and yellow 🐝 and that bees come in all colors, shapes and….

RT @Mikey_Whitehead: One season of bees observed at my house, or nearby. Most of these are very small and easy to miss if you're not look….

Ant-mimicking Seed Bug. Daerlac nigricans. 10 mm. Australia. Sheep in wolf’s clothing – no sting. Pain level: 0

RT @NHM_London: These animals use venom for defence and attack purposes. except for one! Can you guess which one it is? 🤔.

Green spiny ant. Polyrhachis hookeri. 7 mm. Australia. Deceptively non-painful. Like biting into a habanero chili to find it is a green bell pepper – no sting. Pain level: 0

Wasp. Hymenoptera. 12 mm. [Logan, QLD, Australia; ID appreciated]. A nasty little ball of intense itch. Pain level: 0.5

Forest green-head ant. Rhytidoponera sp. 8 mm. Australia. A hint of jalapeño – you were expecting a little more bite and could’ve gone with the medium instead of the mild. Pain level: 1.5

Brachyponera lutea (worker). 5 mm. Australia. A sharp, pulling sensation with remarkable tenacity –  a vindictive sibling twists and pulls at the hair on the top of your toe and you can’t escape. Pain level: 2

Jumping spider. Salticidae. 8 mm. [Darling Downs, QLD Australia; ID appreciated]. A little spike, barely perceptible – a prickle hiding somewhere in your sock. Pain level: 0.5

RT @rickmalad: I love wasps, and I love flies that pretend to be wasps, and few do it better than Physocephala sagittaria—a thick-headed fl….

Jumping spider. Salticidae. 5 mm. North America. No attempt, just huddled up and shows those (8) puppy dog eyes. Pain level: 0 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

Cuckoo wasp. Chrysididae. 8 mm. North America. A sluggish sort of itch – lacking intentionality. Pain level: 0.5 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

Great golden sand digger wasp. Sphex ichneumoneus. 22 mm. North America. A rapidly dissipating sharpness, some warmth remaining – a playful cat claw. Pain level: 1 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

Hunt’s bumble bee. Bombus huntii. 15 mm. North America. Dense, hot and stabby – playing with fireworks again. Pain level: 2 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

Sand wasp. Bembix sp. 18 mm. North America. A watered-down hint of an itch. Pain level: 0.5 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

Sweat bee. Halictus ligatus. 10 mm. North America. Acute, piercing – a sudden bout of tinnitus. Pain level: 1 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

Giant Redheaded Centipedes Are Venom Mixologists

RT @richardharris27: We are looking for anyone who has been stung by a venomous fish and wouldn't mind taking our 15-min, anonymous survey.….