Sting. It is called the organ or part of the sharp body present in several animals that normally expels some type of poison (usually after being nailed into the skin of another animal) or gives an electric shock. A poisonous stinger differs from other piercing organs in that it pierces by itself, unlike teeth, which are pierced by the force of the jaws or thorns, which are pierced by the action of the victim.
Summary
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- 1 Other definitions
- 2 Features
- 3 Animals with stingers
- 4 Sources
Other definitions
The stinger is a kind of barb that is found in the epidermal tissue of certain plant species known as aculeus, this stinger does not have vascular tissue and therefore it is easy to detach, and in this way it is possible to differentiate between the stingers and the thorns.
- Iron tip of the needle or similar utensil.
- He stung with his stinger the back of the oxen that walked slowly with their swaying load
- A pointed and piercing organ that scorpions and some hymenoptera insects ( bee , wasp) have at the extremity of the abdomen , and with which they sting.
Characteristics
The main type of stinger is a sharp organ of attack or defense, especially when connected to a venom gland and adapted to inflict puncture wounds, such as the tail stinger of a scorpion. Among mammals, the only one with a poisonous stinger is the male platypus.
The stinger is usually located on the back of the animal, near the tail (if it has one). Animals with stingers include bees, wasps and scorpions, although the latter is not homologous to the others, but rather an example of convergent evolution. Among honey bees (and only among them) the stinger, a modified ovipositor as in other stinging or waded hymenopterans (Aculeata), is hook- shaped , lodging in the flesh of the victim after detaching from the body of the bee, causing her death in a few minutes. The stinger has its own ganglion (essentially a miniature brain) that allows it to delve into the fleshof the victim and release venom for several minutes. The question of how such a trait has been able to evolve, when it is an obvious disadvantage for the individual, is resolved when it is realized that predatory mammals can easily destroy an entire colony if they are not repelled. If the colony is destroyed, the workers, who are sterile, will die without offspring, so only by defending the colony can they get their genes passed on.
The tips of the stingers ensure that an attack by a honey bee is only suicidal if the victim is a mammal, being able to sting other bees (in intercolonial battles) repeatedly. Thus, under natural conditions, the suicidal nature of the honey bee sting only comes into play in the event of an attacker threatening to destroy the entire colony. The stinger of all other bees and wasps does not have this tip, so it can be used to sting mammals repeatedly (or, more precisely, sting mammals and stay alive to sting another day).
Animals with stingers
Wasps can use their stingers multiple times, unlike bees. Certain animals have developed stingers for defense or hunting. Poisonous stings can have a local reaction, resulting in pain and redness around the site of the sting, or a systemic reaction, with redness, pain, hives, or respiratory and circulatory problems throughout the body. While many animals with stingers are insects or arachnids, there are marine animals that have them as well.
- Wasps that sting
Stinging wasps are colored yellow, brown, blue, or red. Wasps have pointed abdomens attached to the thorax by a thin waist called the petiole. They build nests like paper with wood fibers. The colonies that live in these nests are guided by a queen who lays the eggs. The workers who build the nest are the only ones with stingers, which are modified devices for laying eggs. If threatened, they will gather in a stinging swarm to protect the nest. Wasps have the ability to sting repeatedly.
- Bees
Bees are highly social insects. Worker bees are females without developing sexually. They build combs, seek pollen and nectar for food, and circulate air within the hive, beating their wings, among other tasks. The queen’s main task is to lay eggs, although she also directs activity within the hive. Male bees are called drones. In the winter months , when the hive needs to conserve resources, the drones are expelled. The bees can only sting once, causing death, since the stinger and the venom sac get stuck in the flesh of the victim after use.
- Stripes
Stingrays are fish that spend most of their time buried in the sand. Their coloration and design, for camouflage purposes, often match the ocean floor where they reside. Stingrays have relatively flat bodies with pectoral fins that are attached to the head and trunk. The mouth, nostrils and gills are at the bottom while the eyes are at the top. They have teeth powerful enough to crush mollusks. The barb or thorn with a sting, used for protection, at the end of the tail has venom powerful enough to be fatal. It can even work after the stingray has died.
- Scorpions
Scorpions are long, nocturnal arachnids. During the day they hide under rocks or burrows made by themselves. They have four pairs of legs. The two front legs have claws used for capturing prey and mating practices. The legs contain organs that detect vibrations from the ground. The curved end of the scorpion’s tail ends in a bulbous structure that contains the stinger and poisonous glands. They paralyze their prey with the stinger, usually insects but sometimes mice or lizards, before liquefying the tissue with an acid. Some males will bite the female during mating. Scorpions can actively regulate the potency of their venom as needed.
