• bufordt@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    In general, fire ant don’t bite, they sting. Not that it changes what a piece of shit the cop is, but I wish the headline was accurate to what happened.

    • tektite@slrpnk.net
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      6 months ago

      I thought they bite to hang on while they sting you. Not that you notice the bite so much in that case but it makes them harder to shake off.

    • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      They do both. They use their mandibles to bite and latch on, while they spin around their latch point and repeatedly sting in a circle. The twisting (from them spinning in circles while latched on) and repeated stinging is what creates the characteristic burning sensation that gives them their name.