Samuel Robinson

Scientist @IMBatUQ using sting chemistry to study pain physiology. National Geographic Explorer @insidenatgeo. Sting opinions (and photos) my own.

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

What’s the worst sting? Is a scorpion, centipede or wasp sting different to a bee’s? Do those even sting? 
In this account I share my experiences with the world’s stinging wildlife. I describe the sting in the style of my late friend and collaborator Dr Justin Schmidt* 1/2

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Yellow-legged hornet. Vespa velutina. Vespidae. 20 mm. Asia. Instant intense building sharpness that turns bloody – a memorable misadventure with a nail gun. Pain level: 7/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Red-footed ant. Pseudoneoponera rufipes. Formicidae. 18 mm. Asia. A little burn leaves a blister – you impatiently tried to sip the foam off your hot chocolate and got the scolding liquid on the tip of your tongue. Pain level: 3/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Army ant. Dorylus sp. Formicidae. 7 mm. Asia. Happy to nibble but no sting. Pain level: 0/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Elephant nettle. Dendrocnide sinuata. 10 m. Asia. Tried out some cheap dentistry, shouldn’t have - starts as a rashy tingle but beware the toothbrush or anything remotely cold for the next week. Pain level: 4/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Note: This non-stinging fly mimics bumble bees (genus Bombus) in both appearance and behaviour. Although it doesn’t sting, it does have a sharp spikes, which when combined with the mimicry can make a convincing case for release.

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Bee mimic fly [WY, USA; ID appreciated]. 12 mm. North America. Cloak and dagger, but the dagger is plastic. No sting. Pain level: 0/10

[Science Magazine @ScienceMagazine]

Up close, the army ant Eciton hamatum is part monster, part marvel. Curved mandibles jut from its bulbous head like a pair of scimitars. Six whip-thin legs, bristling with hairs and spines, suspend its slender thorax above the ground. Then there are the insect’s innards—the tiny brain, the musculature filling virtually every nook and cranny of the exoskeleton, the digestive tract like a thread running the length of the body.

The view of this species, and 791 others, comes thanks to a particle accelerator and years of painstaking work by a team of biologists.

Learn more: https://t.co/h7Oz4z8bOS @NewsfromScience

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Our research @StingScience @IMBatUQ showcasing some surprising insights into evolution from wasp stings and frog skin – today in @ScienceMagazine https://t.co/Z3fJde3x4g

[The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand @ConversationEDU]

The discovery shines a light on what has, until now, been an underappreciated feature of evolution which suggests life is not so random after all. @StingScience @UQ_News https://t.co/gWGudHDGxs

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Hairy-eyed bee mimic fly. Mallota sp. 16 mm. North America. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. No sting. Pain Level 0

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Small brown paper wasp. Ropalidia sp. 7 mm. Asia. The texture and immediacy of glass shards evaporating to an unremarkable itch. Pain level: 3/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 4/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Hunt’s bumble bee. Bombus huntii. 15 mm. North America. Dense, hot and stabby – playing with fireworks again. Pain level: 2 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 2/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Great golden sand digger wasp. Sphex ichneumoneus. 22 mm. North America. A rapidly dissipating sharpness, some warmth remaining – a playful cat claw. Pain level: 1 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 1/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Cuckoo wasp. Chrysididae. 8 mm. North America. A sluggish sort of itch – lacking intentionality. Pain level: 0.5 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 0/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Jumping spider. Salticidae. 5 mm. North America. No attempt, just huddled up and shows those (8) puppy dog eyes. Pain level: 0 #thestingofthewild #scicomm

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Southern Michelin ant. Amblyopone sp. 10 mm. Australia. Deceptively lifeless, before building to a fine sharpness and finishing with a concentrated itch. Pain level: 2/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 1/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Jumping spider. Salticidae. 8 mm. [Darling Downs, QLD Australia; ID appreciated]. A little spike, barely perceptible – a prickle hiding somewhere in your sock. Pain level: 0.5

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 4/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Brachyponera lutea (worker). 5 mm. Australia. A sharp, pulling sensation with remarkable tenacity –  a vindictive sibling twists and pulls at the hair on the top of your toe and you can’t escape. Pain level: 2

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 3/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Forest green-head ant. Rhytidoponera sp. 8 mm. Australia. A hint of jalapeño – you were expecting a little more bite and could’ve gone with the medium instead of the mild. Pain level: 1.5

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Pain level: 1/10

[Samuel Robinson @StingScience]

Wasp. Hymenoptera. 12 mm. [Logan, QLD, Australia; ID appreciated]. A nasty little ball of intense itch. Pain level: 0.5