<i></i> <i></i> <i></i> 0<p><img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/c-users-zainab-afridi-downloads-19-10-2437-jpg.jpeg"/></p> <p>For some of us who are brave and adventurous, getting stung by a bee or wasp isn’t too big of a deal. Sure, it swells up and stings, but that’s more or less it, right? Oh no – just ask the rest of the majority population what their vote is. When it comes to insects armed with stingers, it’s always a big fat “NOPE!”. Dealing with the pain is one thing, but if you’re allergic to the nasty sting, that is a whole new story. Our bodies have a range of reactions to display, ranging from a minor reflex and perhaps a loud scream to something much serious, like anaphylactic shock! Titled by the white coats as Mellisophobia, the fear of getting stung by a bee or wasp is one that is shared around the globe by people of all ages, genders and races. But what if the sting isn’t by a bee but something else? Would that be better or worse? Here are our picks, bringing you the most painful stings in the animal kingdom!</p> <h2>10. The Paper Wasp</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1387.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Commonly found all over the world (yikes), the Paper Wasp is named fittingly so after the nest it makes, which resembles in texture to something just like you guessed it – paper. Though they have rather calmer temperaments as their cousin the Hornet, Paper Wasps aren’t afraid to go down without a fight. As we already know, these insects are dispersed all over the world and so it would come as no surprise that interactions with humans is fairly common. The Paper Wasp can sting you multiple times before dying, unlike bees which die after one sting. Paper Wasp attacks, depending on the number of these little assailants can result in causing minor discomfort to causing cardiac arrest! Large swarms’ attacks can prove fatal and if provoked by being disturbed in their daily pollen duties, are not afraid to engage. Stay away from the Paper Wasp, people!</p> <h2>9. The Duck-Billed Platypus</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1388.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>This egg-laying oddity is both famous for being the star of the show in the Disney Series Phineas And Ferb as Agent Perry, and notorious for being one of the last mammals to still haven’t given in to evolution and ditching their venomous ways. Questionably classified as a mammal, the Platypus lays eggs yet feeds it young on milk, but you might already have known that. What we bet you didn’t have the scoop on, is that the male Platypus has a vicious stinger near the rear paws which administer a deadly dose of toxic! Platypus stings are famous especially in their home of Australia as being potent enough to incapacitate a whole cow and bring a male adult to his knees! Though it’s only the males that secrete this venom and that too, during the mating season, their sting can cause nerve and tissue damage bad enough to set you back a few months! When Agent P is in love, stay away from him!</p> <h2>8. The Tarantula Hawk</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1389.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Named after two very fierce members of the animal kingdom, namely the Tarantula which is a huge species of spider (huge NOPE!) which are arachnids and the elegant yet very aggressive hawks, which are birds, the Tarantula Hawk isn’t a crossover but isn’t a push over either. Growing up to being up to two inches long, these insects are native not to one country but the entire world, especially the Southern Hemisphere. Again, human encounters are a common occurrence but get this – it is recorded by those same White Coats we mentioned in the introduction that the Tarantula Hawk comes second on the list of worst insect stings, though it only lasts an excruciating three minutes. Think that’s bad? The Tarantula Hawk actually lays eggs on live Tarantula spiders, whose bodies get eaten alive when the larvae hatch. In the words of a wise man who once walked the street, “No, thank you!”</p> <h2>7. Ants</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1390.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>One of the reasons your mom was always super conscious about where you eat and how much wasn’t because she would have to clean it later. It was all mainly because the ants might come marching and try to do this for her. You just can’t get rid of them. Scattered in every nook and corner of the world except for Antarctica where it’s too cold, there is an estimated one million ants for every human on the Earth. However, these too can bite really painfully. The type we’re concerned with here though, is the Carpenter Ant. The pain from a Carpenter Ant’s sting can last days and the visual changes it brings can be see for months on end!</p> <h2>6. The Bullet Ant</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1391.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The Bullet Ant has the most powerful sting of all, and hence we decided on giving it a special spot! Similar to feeling like you’ve been shot at, a Bullet Ant’s sting is not only super uncomfortable to experience, but even worse to endure. If you’ve been stung by one, you should consider moving away as much as possible to avoid another sting, since all stings contain some amount of toxic, which can be fatal!</p> <h2>5. The Amazon Giant Centipede</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1392.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>With jaws strong enough to puncture human skin, the Amazon Giant Centipede can often exceed a foot in length. Snacking on birds, rats and other larger insects, what makes it all the more scarier is the fact that it is very fast, thanks to 23 pairs of feet it has! With fever, dizziness, heart irregularities and breathing difficulties being just some of its package entail, it is worth mentioning that the sting itself it painful as well. Responsible for numerous deaths including a recent one in which a 3-year-old girl passed away, a bite by this little beast is good enough to send you to the E.R! Surprisingly, some people love these critters and have them as pets. Approach with caution – or better yet, don’t approach at all!</p> <h2>4. The Gila Monster</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1393.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The Gila Monster is North America’s biggest lizard and is often found in places where the temperatures are high. Often spotted simply chilling on a hot pavement or on a rock, the Gila Monster is next on our list. Living true to its name, having an encounter with this monster can truly become a nightmare! This lizard bites and hangs on, working its venom into the unsuspecting victim who would already be worried in advance. While nausea, muscles aches, full body cramping and pains and other such generic pains are what’s in store for anyone who provokes the monster to attack, breathing difficulties and fluctuating blood pressure can also be catered for. Surprisingly though, there aren’t very many fatalities caused by the Monster over the years, but it’s always better safe than sorry!</p> <h2>3. The Arizona Bark Scorpion</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1394.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Arizona may be rightly called the Australia of the United States for its wild outback scene which is chock full of creatures that want to kill you. One of them is the Arizona Bark scorpion, which stings worse than it may sound. With paralysis, convulsions, breathing issues and numbness that can go from one day’s inconvenience to three days at the doctor’s, the Arizona Bark Scorpion is one of those creatures whose authority in its own domain should not be challenged. Though being used currently to develop some medicine, the venom of this scorpion has killed more than three hundred people over the years!</p> <h2>2 . The Stonefish</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1395.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>A venomous predator that hides itself in the depths of the sea, the Stonefish is the most toxic fish to exist. Native to Australian and Singaporean waters, the lack of scales and its rather unflattering looks give it the best camouflage possible and aids it in lying in lurch, sometimes for a whole day, waiting for the prey to come within proximal range for it to engage and destroy whatever it may be. Able to survive out of the water for up to 24 hours, a sting from a Stonefish can result in seizures and death, but survival means you have two days of incredibly excruciating pain to live in.</p> <h2>1. The Box Jellyfish</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-1396.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The Box Jellyfish may not be the most common reason to get stung since it’s not present everywhere, but it roams the waters in groups and delivers a deadly dose of poison when it does. On its tentacles, this marine creature has hollow barbs that act just like an injection and can penetrate into the skin, causing irritation, pain on a whole new level, the stoppage of blood circulation and even nerve transmission. Approximately 100 people lose their lives to these creatures each year. Armed with those barbs and 24 eyes – yes! 24 eyes! These seemingly cute jellyfish can chase their prey even in murky waters and bring it down, double time. Remind us not to go surfing when there has been a Box Jellyfish sighting!</p> <p>So, ladies and gentlemen, that wraps up today’s list as we presented to you some of the worst stingers of the animal planet. Wasps, bees, or anything of the sort – mind your own bee’s wax and don’t bug them too much! (Pun intended). Have you ever been stung? Are you afraid of getting stung? Let us know!</p> <i></i>