The Schmidt Sting Pain Index: Quantifying Insect-Induced Agony

"Bzzzzzzz"
Futility Closet (December 17, 2005)

"After he'd been stung by almost everything, entomologist Justin O. Schmidt created the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, a four-point scale comparing the overall pain of insect stings:

"* 1.0 - Sweat bee: 'Light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm.'..."

Nine data points are listed, running a gamut through "...2.0 - Yellowjacket: 'Hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W.C. Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue.'..." to "...4.0+ - Bullet ant: 'Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch nail in your heel.' "