The Amazon is an amazing and unique ecosystem that humanity has not yet explored 100%. This world lives its own life, in which, despite the external beauty and harmony, every plant, animal, bird or insect is fighting for survival. Mother Nature has endowed the inhabitants of the jungle with a variety of means of protection, camouflage and deterrence. Someone merges with the color of the tree, someone has a very loud scream, some use a bright frightening color for protection, and other inhabitants of tropical forests use poisons. There are many reptiles and insects among the poisonous inhabitants. Everyone knows about the painful bites of wild wasps, but not everyone knows that the most painful in the world are the injections of the Amazonian “Bullet Ant”, which the locals affectionately call “Isula” or “Ormiga 24”.
These ants live in Central and South America at altitudes up to 900 meters. They settle in colonies of 1000 to 2000 individuals, as a rule, under the roots of various trees, less often on the trees themselves. Isuls lead a rather secretive lifestyle, go out for work and mining most often at night or during the day in rainy weather. Among its relatives, the bullet ant is one of the largest representatives. Its dimensions reach up to 3 cm, and the length of the sting is up to 2.5 mm.
The bullet ant (Latin: Paraponera clavata) is a unique preserved representative of the rare genus Paraponera. The antiquity of this genus is confirmed by the fact that the only close relative of Isula, the ant Paraponera dieteri, was discovered in the area of the Dominican Republic in the form of a fossil preserved in fossilized amber. The age of the find is about 19 million years.
The name of the ant contains the greek word “poneria”, which means pain. And it’s not strange! The effect of the venom of Paraponera clavata is 30 times greater than the effects of the venom of any wasp or bee. On the Schmidt scale, this is the highest score: 4+. Painful sensations during a bite are equated to a gunshot wound, hence the name “Ant bullet”. The pain is accompanied by convulsions and can cause fainting within 24 hours, from there came the second name – “Hormiga 24”. Studies of Isula’s venom have revealed a new paralyzing neurotoxin (peptide) called poneratoxin. By their nature, these ants are not aggressive, they use their weapons only if you step on them or climb into their anthill.
In some Amazonian tribes, an initiation ceremony with an Isula is performed for teenagers 9-10 years old. Special gloves are put on the hands of the subject, in which up to 50 ants are placed in advance. To prove their endurance and transition into adulthood, boys must withstand insect bites for 10 minutes. During the test by ants, adolescents develop immunity to this type of toxins, which is very important for life in the jungle.
In addition, studies have shown that bites increase overall immunity in humans and help to avoid many diseases in the future.
Our ecolodge “Cordillera Escalera” is located in the jungle, and here you can meet various representatives of flora and fauna, even the famous Isula. Upon check-in, we always provide safety instructions and tell you how to protect yourself from unpleasant incidents. When visiting nature, always be careful and respect the peculiarities of the local flora and fauna.