Why an entomologist spent decades intentionally getting stung by hundreds of insects
In short: Justin O. Schmidt created a formal pain index to test a bold evolutionary theory: that the development of toxic, painful stings was the secret ingredient allowing insects to evolve complex social colonies. By cataloging his own agony, he sought to map the connection between insect defense and social structure.
The Schmidt sting pain index began in 1983 as a systematic method to compare the hemolytic properties of insect venoms. Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, developed the scale to test whether the evolution of sociality in Hymenoptera—bees, wasps, and ants—depended on the development of potent, painful venom. While solitary insects rely on pain to deter predators and escape, social colonies represent a nutritionally rich, stationary target that requires more robust defenses to survive.
Schmidt’s methodology involved recording his own reactions to approximately one thousand stings from over 80 different groups. He established the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, as the reference point with a rating of 2. The scale ranges from 0, for stings ineffective against humans, to 4, reserved for the most excruciating experiences, such as the bullet ant, Paraponera clavata. To ensure consistency, he also compared his subjective findings with reports from colleagues.
The index is not a clinical measure of pain but a tool for ecological research. Because insects with vastly different sting sensations can fall into the same numerical category, Schmidt included descriptive accounts of his experiences in later versions of the scale. His work culminated in a 2016 book, building upon a 1990 paper that classified 78 species. In 2015, his dedication to this research was recognized with an Ig Nobel Prize.
While scientific publications typically use a 1 to 4 scale, the index has occasionally been presented with more granular detail. For instance, a 1996 article in Outside magazine elicited more precise ratings, such as a 1.8 for the bullhorn acacia ant. Despite these variations, the index remains a primary reference for understanding how the evolution of toxicity facilitated complex behaviors like inter-colony communication, food storage, and the shared raising of young.
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