The stinger is a pointed organ that certain arachnids and insects have.
A sting is a stick or conduit that ends in a point and that allows you to sting: sting or prick to incite or enliven. The term came to our language from the Latin word aculĕus , which comes from acus (a term that can be translated as “ needle ” ).
The most common use of stinger refers to the pointed organ that certain insects and arachnids have. This organ can allow the expulsion of poison or the application of a shock of electricity .
Animals with stinger
Animals use the stinger to defend themselves from predators or to carry out attacks. The procedure consists of sticking the stinger into the victim, and then releasing the poison inside their body. Scorpions , wasps , and bees are among the creatures that have a sting, although the characteristics of this organ differ depending on the species.
In the case of the scorpion, it has a poisonous stinger at the end of the tail. Honey bees , for their part, die after stabbing the stinger, which detaches from their body and remains embedded in the victim.
It should be noted that stingers are sometimes confused with other organs or anatomical structures. In the case of whip rays , for example, what is often called their stinger is actually their dorsal fin .
Bees have a stinger.
The bites
Insect bites are very common in many areas, especially in the warmest and most humid areas, where they find ideal conditions to proliferate. On the other hand, in summer the chances of bites increase anywhere in the world, and one of the reasons is that we begin to wear less clothing, leaving more parts of the body uncovered, becoming an easy target .
As if a sting wasn't already annoying or, in some cases, painful enough, when the stinger detaches from the animal and becomes embedded in our body, things become even worse. Not only is it a more uncomfortable and stinging bite, but it can lead to the appearance of certain complications, such as infections , and therefore it is necessary to recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction to this type of bite to know how to act in time .
Although it is normal to feel the puncture as soon as the stinger is inserted into the skin and then notice inflammation and redness, in most cases these signs disappear within half an hour. On the other hand, people allergic to bites continue to show these and other symptoms , such as fever in the area of the bite, for a period of up to five days.
In people with severe allergies , everything is enhanced and lumps appear in various parts of the body, in addition to the one caused by the bite itself, breathing problems, lack of strength, headache, generalized itching and dizziness. It is recommended to call emergency services as soon as possible ; While professional help is on the way, it doesn't hurt to apply cold compresses to the area where the stinger is.
Specifically in the case of bees, the venom sac attached to the stinger continues to pump even after it is detached; For this reason, it is necessary to remove the stinger as soon as possible. To do this, we must use any tool that allows us to hold it in the middle, since if we press the bag it can break.
Stinger in botany
If we focus on the field of botany , the stinger is a type of barb that is found in the epidermal tissue of certain plant species.
Also known as aculeus , this stinger does not have vascular tissue and, therefore, is easy to detach. In this way it is possible to differentiate between stingers and thorns .