8 PAIN LEVELS

Justin Schmidt has allowed himself to be stung by more than 150 insect species. His research has included the fascinating question of whether hunting insects cause more pain than those that are simply defending themselves. Here are some examples from Level 1.0 to 4.1.

150 STINGS,

If the mosquito hits a nerve, however, the victim will feel the bite and swat the pesky creature away.

Wasps will sting their victims in as many places and as many times as possible. Other wasps arrive to help and will keep stinging until the victim has been driven away or their venom is all gone.

6. FINALE AND RETREAT

Once it lands on your skin, a mosquito works its way into a blood vessel with its proboscis, which it can turn almost 90 degrees in any direction. Tapping into your circulatory system, it uses its labrum and hypopharynx to create a structure much like a straw. Through this “straw” it pumps saliva into the victim to lubricate its proboscis, dilate blood vessels, and halt coagulation. Then the mosquito pulls in enough blood to fill its abdomen, which can hold up to three times the creature’s weight. During this procedure the insect filters the blood, separating the red blood cells from the water content and then expelling the water. This enables the mosquito to take in 5 to 10 times more nutrients than it would obtain from unfiltered blood. A nerve in the mosquito’s stomach tells it when it’s time to stop drinking. Without this biological “stop sign,” the pressure could cause it to burst. Mosquito saliva triggers an immune response in the victim that creates a bump on the skin and leads to itching.