When the Bee Stings Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fire ants

Ants in the Solenopsis genus are known as stinging ants, with the fire ant, which causes the most problems for humans, being Solenopsis invicta. Originally native to South America, this variety of fire ant is now found in many countries including the USA, Australia and parts of China. Fire ant venom contains piperidine, which causes urticaria, while the stings themselves are painful.

Answer: Puffer fish

Tetrodotoxin affects the nerves, blocking the messages which control breathing. Victims die from suffocation. The blue-ringed octopus is particularly dangerous since all parts of its body contain venom. In puffer fish, the major concentration is in the liver, so trained chefs can make it safe to eat - in Japan, puffer fish are eaten as the delicacy known as fugu.

Answer: Mexico

The species originated in Mexico, specifically on the Pacific coast, so is often called the Mexican redknee tarantula. It is one of the most popular tarantulas kept as pets. Although their bite is venomous, it causes no harm to humans and the pain caused is described as being comparable to a bee sting.

They can shoot hairs at humans when they feel under threat, and these can cause urticaria, an irritating rash.

Answer: Hornet

This is not an insect you'd want to come across while eating jam sandwiches. The Asian giant hornet is the world's largest, and is also called the yak-killer. The sting can be as long as 6mm and the venom can cause death to humans, although this normally only occurs when the person has been stung more than thirty times.

As with all venoms, anaphylactic shock is a risk to anyone suffering from allergies.

Answer: Lyme disease

Deer ticks carry the Borrelia bacterium which is transferred to humans via bites. Lyme disease causes fever, headaches and joint pain, among many other symptoms, and can become chronic if left untreated for too long. Tick bites can also cause illness in dogs, cattle and sheep.

Answer: Box jellyfish

Of all the creatures in the quiz, this is the one to be avoided at all costs. That said, only a few box jellyfish are dangerous to humans, with severe stings causing the heart to stop. Among the most venomous, and largest, is Chironex fleckeri, also known as the sea wasp, which is found in coastal waters of Australia, Philippines and Vietnam.

Answer: Fewer than 30

Some sources say that death from scorpion stings is ten times more likely each year than death from venomous snakes. Although all scorpions have venomous stings, which will kill their usual prey of insects, only a small number have enough venom to cause a human death. Children are more at risk than adults, and treatment with anti-venom is required as soon as possible after the sting.

Answer: True

The common name comes from the appearance, but fire coral is a relative of jellyfish and anemones, and belongs to the Cnidaria phylum. Touching fire coral, perhaps while snorkeling or scuba diving, allows the nematocysts to release toxins, which cause extreme pain - the fire part of the name is earned as a result. For most people, stings from fire coral are painful but not deadly.

Answer: Iceland

Mosquitoes are found in Greenland, but Iceland has escaped them. According to scientists, this is due to Iceland's climate where an early thaw can occur, which causes the mosquito pupae to emerge only to find no source of food. The temperature then freezes again, so there is no opportunity for the adult mosquito to emerge.

Another explanation is that Iceland has little stagnant water, needed by mosquitoes, and the little that there is soon freezes. It's not just cold weather though - Seychelles and parts of French Polynesia are also mosquito free, at least at the time of writing.

Answer: Bombus

Unlike honey bees, bumblebees do not have barbed stings so they can sting more than once and do not leave the sting in the victim's skin. Only worker bees and the queen bee can sting, and they normally only do so when under threat. Bumblebees are one of the main means of pollination for many plants.

Apis is the genus for the honey bee, Euglossa for orchid bees and Melipona for stingless bees.