Bullet ant

Paraponera clavata (Fabricius, 1775)

Also known / common namesSpanish – Hormiga bala, Conga; Indigenous names

Bullet ant(s) General Description

One of the largest Neotropical ants; workers 18–30 mm long, robust, dark reddish-brown to black, with large mandibles, a single erect petiolar node, and no worker polymorphism. Queens only slightly larger than workers and winged until mating. Cuticle matte; abdominal stridulatory file present and used in alarm. Antennae geniculate; eyes moderate. Colonies nest at the base of trees or lianas and workers forage up tree trunks into the canopy, often carrying nectar between the mandibles. Famous for an extremely painful sting caused by the peptide poneratoxin.

Has Sexual Diamorphism?

  • Yes

Yes (subtle). Queens are slightly larger and winged pre-mating; workers monomorphic; males alate and short-lived.

LIFE‑HISTORY & VITAL STATISTICS OF THE Bullet ant(S)

Average Height / Length / Diameter

Workers 18–30 mm; queens ~20–30 mm

Average Adult Weight / Mass

0.3gr

Typical Lifespan / Longevity

queens live multi-year in congeners, but specific data lacking

Typical Lifespan / Longevity for males

Typical Lifespan / Longevity for Females

queens live multi-year in congeners, but specific data lacking

Age at Sexual Maturity

Alate adults mature after nuptial flight

Breading Season

Alate adults mature after nuptial fligh

Gestation

Reproductive Outcome

Monogynous colonies of several hundred to a few thousand workers

Ecology and Behaviour for Bullet ant(s)

One of the largest Neotropical ants; workers 18–30 mm long, robust, dark reddish-brown to black, with large mandibles, a single erect petiolar node, and no worker polymorphism. Queens only slightly larger than workers and winged until mating. Cuticle matte; abdominal stridulatory file present and used in alarm. Antennae geniculate; eyes moderate. Colonies nest at the base of trees or lianas and workers forage up tree trunks into the canopy, often carrying nectar between the mandibles. Famous for an extremely painful sting caused by the peptide poneratoxin.

Habitat

Humid lowland to foothill rainforest; nests in soil at bases of trees/lianas that give access to the canopy. Most foraging occurs arboreally above the nest; little on the forest floor. Recorded mainly 0–750 m, with occasional records to ~1 500 m (La Amistad).

Trophic Chain

Humid lowland to foothill rainforest; nests in soil at bases of trees/lianas that give access to the canopy. Most foraging occurs arboreally above the nest; little on the forest floor. Recorded mainly 0–750 m, with occasional records to ~1 500 m (La Amistad).

Interespecies relationships noted for Bullet ant

Mutualism +/+

Use of extrafloral nectaries on certain trees; ants gain carbohydrates, plants may receive incidental defense by aggressive workers.

Symbiosis +/+

Specific stable endosymbionts for P. clavata not documented in CR literature.

Commensalism

Detritivores (roaches/isopods) exploit middens/refuse near nest entrances; ants largely unaffected (general ant-nest phenomenon). Data deficient for species-specifics.

Inquilinism +/0

Various arthropods shelter in peripheral chambers/near buttress bases of nests; evidence mostly anecdotal. Data deficient.

Phoresy +/0

Mites occasionally recorded hitchhiking on ants in Neotropical systems; species-specific data for P. clavata limited. Data deficient.

Tanatocresis +/0

Dead prey and shed cuticles discarded by ants are reused by scavengers as cover or construction material; no effect on ants. (General detrital pathway.)

Parasitism -/0

Phorid fly Apocephalus paraponerae parasitizes injured workers, often dozens of larvae per ant.

Predation +/-

Ants prey on Greta oto larvae/pupae; adults deter ants chemically.

Amensalism 0/-

Ants’ aggressive defense deters other insects from EFN-bearing plants, reducing their feeding without extra gain to ants beyond defense/food. (Inferred from EFN use.)

Competition -/-

Competes with other canopy-foraging ants for nectar and prey along tree trunks and lianas (e.g., formicines/ponerines). Data deficient for named competitors.

Social behaviour of Bullet ant

  • Venom peptide poneratoxin modulates voltage-gated Na⁺ channels, producing 4.0+ pain on Schmidt index.
  • Mass recruitment and individual odor trails to rich nectar sources; loud abdominal stridulation during defense

Distribution and Sighthings ofBullet ant(s) in Costa Rica

General Regions of Costa Rica where to find Bullet ants

Tropical
Tropical Rain Forest

National Parks and Reserves of Costa Rica where to find Bullet ants

Parque Nacional Barbilla
Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
Parque Nacional Cahuita
Parque Nacional Corcovado
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas
Parque Nacional Tenorio
Parque Nacional Tortuguero
Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce
Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Curú
Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito

Best Time to seeBullet ant(s) in Costa Rica

Dry Season
January
February
March
April
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Media

Videos

Sounds and calls

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom Animalia
  • Phylum Arthropoda
  • Class Insecta
  • Order Hymenoptera
  • Genus Paraponera

Conservation Status

Status IUCN

  • Not Evaluated (NE)

Threats

⚠️Lowland forest loss/fragmentation (nesting at tree bases/lianas, canopy foraging).
⚠️Agrochemical exposure and habitat edge effects in converted lowlands (indirect impacts on prey and nectar sources).
⚠️Agrochemical exposure and habitat edge effects in converted lowlands (indirect impacts on prey and nectar sources).
⚠️Climate shifts potentially altering nuptial flight phenology and resource availability (inference from flight records).

Fun Facts

  • Delivers a Schmidt pain index 4.0+ sting—among the world’s most painful.

  • Venom poneratoxin is a Na⁺-channel modulator under study for bio-insecticides/biomedicine.

  • Often recruits en masse to nectar sources via pheromone trails.

  • Preys on the glasswing butterfly (Greta oto), whose larvae are chemically defended.

  • Only living species in subfamily Paraponerinae; fossil relative known from Dominican amber.

Origins & Record

Origin Status

Native

Population trend

Stable

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External Resources

Britannica. “Bullet ant (Paraponera clavata): Natural history, sting, range.” (accessed Aug 2025)
Wikipedia. “Paraponera clavata.” (altitude, nest/foraging, prey, parasites). Rev. 2025.
urphy & Breed (2007). A Predictive Distribution Map for the Giant Tropical Ant, Paraponera clavata. J. Insect Science. (range incl. Pacific slope rarity).
Peeters, C. (2017). Independent colony foundation in P. clavata (colony founding; timeline). Sociobiology (PDF).
Schmidt Sting Index overview (pain 4.0+). Natural History Museum, London.
Poneratoxin primary literature summary (mechanism). PubMed record

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