#justin schmidt

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

Sad, Justin Schmidt of the insect pain scale passed away

Justin O. Schmidt, Entomologist Known as ‘King of Sting,’ Dies at 75

Studying the venom of bees, wasps and ants, he was stung hundreds of times and famously ranked the stings in a colorful pain scale index.

[joenateuser]

Dylan Efron | via instagram stories

[ironmyrmidon]

Thinking about Justin Schmidt, the scientist who decided to create a sting pain index for Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, etc) by just getting stung by all of them. I'm trying to suss out whether he liked getting stung or if he just really needed that data to prove his point.

He describes yellow jacket stings as, “Hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W. C. Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue.” That's mad horny. Why specifically W. C. Fields? His list is full of descriptions like this

On the other hand, after getting stung by a warrior wasp, he described it as, "Torture. You are chained in the flow of an active volcano. Why did I start this list?" Descriptions like that make me think he's not enjoying himself and is just doing this out of a sense of obligation.

So like, was he jorkin it after getting stung a bunch or not?

[willothewispwisteriadawn]

I went to the museum today and they had a rating of pain for a bunch of bee, wasp, and ant stings. 1 (a little pain) to 4 (excruciating pain). The plaque said this was all done by a man named Justin Schmidt who got stung so he could do the ratings.

Anyway, I think we all should appreciate Justin Schmidt who took one for science.

[nugothrhythms]

“Graves” by Brooklyn, New York-based coldwave band X Harlow off of April 2020 release Feuerwerk. X Harlow is the brain child of Justin Schimdt, one of the three members of Blu Annxiety, whose music I have shared here before.

[paddockpatrol]

Delivering a Red Bull to the WORLDS GREATEST F1 Driver🏎️🏆 #redbullracing

Delivering a Red Bull to the WORLDS GREATEST F1 Driver🏎️🏆 #redbullracing

[mossandfog]

Ranking the Excruciating Pain of Stinging Insects

There are enough painful stinging insects in the world that an official Schmidt’s Sting Pain Index has been created. Named after biologist Justin Schmidt who studied insects and even subjected himself to their incredibly painful stings, the late scientist helped qualify the pain with colorful, creative descriptions of how they feel. Atlas Obscura has a great article giving tribute to this brave…

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[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

The Sting of the Wild, by Justin Orvel Schmidt

Let’s cut to the chase. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book and I believe it has something to offer for aspiring biologists, entomologists, insect hobbyists, researchers and people who have a great interest in the wonderful world of bugs! Due to the many mentions of pain throughout the book, the use of some technical language from biology research, alongside mentions of insects mating (ha ha ha), I would best recommend this book for a high school reading level or to those VERY interested in entomology. As well, there are funny (and cautionary) insect and nature exploration stories in the pages that would be quite suitable for children. Various excursions around the world and investigations into Ant digs or poking around Nests come to mind. Though serious in the moment, Schmidt tells his stories with a good dose of silliness to lighten the tone. He does not dwell in the moment of pain, instead championing the knowledge to be gleamed from it and how the experience led to happy moments to look back on. And he did live through them all after all. As such, the stories with may spark newfound interest in wilderness exploration to learn about the little creatures of the earth or serve as a guide on which insects should be kept away from small hands, such as the Velvet Ants, which are in fact wingless Wasps. The fuzz may be attractive, but that’s a warning advertisement, indicating that the stinger is primed! Anyways, while I’ll largely be keeping the contents under wraps so you can experience this book for yourself, here’s what this book has to offer. 

The Sting of the Wild offers great insight into the mind of Justin Schmidt and his fascination with insects. It dives into his childhood adventures, his academic journey and his excursions in the field to document insects within the order Hymenoptera. He weaves these tales and journeys while exploring the history, intricacies, evolution and biodiversity within insects that are equipped with a stinger. There is thoughtful examination of the differences between social insects and solitary insects (especially how their behavior drives and forges them) and discussions of the perceptions different cultures have towards their stinging insects; e.g. Bulldog Ants of Australia aren’t as strong as they seem, meanwhile Bullet Ant stings are painful but are used in adulthood rituals in some nations! Furthermore, he dispels many myths about these insects, not labelling them as vicious, rambunctious aggressors, but rather as animals to be respected and treat as friends given their ecological significance and also the benefits they can provide humanity. For example: while we are inclined to think of Honeybees as gentle, vegan gatherers, they can be both monstrous and resourceful when it comes to protection of their hive and stores of honey (as can be read in Chapter 11).

Intermission: For additional insect literature, you may visit the Blog Resources page.

For cohesive examples of how best to consider the scope, tone and lessons from this book, please refer to Pictures 8 and 9. He does not castigate Wasps are our enemies, but also offers practical advice should you ignore their warnings and meet their sting. A bit tongue in cheek at times, but it gave me a good chuckle. If you desire a real hoot, refer to the pain index at the back of the book with all the descriptions of pain sensations felt as a result of Schmidt’s adventures. Yes, this is the man who created the Schmidt Pain Index that attempts to quantify pain levels from insect stings! Consider those descriptions before you go bug-hunting for Wasps and decide to try handling them (unless you are sure they are male). To conclude: it’s worth noting that this book doesn’t offer much in terms of insect identification beyond a few specimens and several pictures from the field. However, the quality of research in this book is superb, all listed in the index with sources readily available for further reading. And finally, and to be as clear as possible, this book is not a fully memoir or autobiography. While parts of his life are covered and reflected on, it’s the insects that make up the chapters of the book. The insects of the Sting of the Wild are put on full display, interpreted though the eyes, experiences and research of a daring man who took a hands on approach to these little creatures.

It must have been an amazing time to travel all over the world searching for insects, and I must speak in past tense as Justin Schmidt is no longer with us, having passed this year in the February of 2023 at 75 years old. His passing is actually how I found this book, and it was all the more ironic (but coincidental) that I shared a Paper Wasp post shortly after. While the insects were enough to draw my interest, it was Schmidt’s adventures, humor, passion and insights into entomology and stinger/ovipositor evolution that held my attention. Thank you Justin Schmidt! This post is for you. Thank you for a great read that I will revisit when I can. I’d also like to dedicate this post to my grandfather who also passed away earlier this week at the age of 89. He was a gentleman of patience, wisdom, care and intellect. He passed on a lot of knowledge to me and encouraged me to consider the bigger picture whenever he could and to be mindful. I miss him very much already. May both these men’s lives be celebrated fondly and eternally into the next just as the social insects within Hymenoptera build great cities and societies year upon year, regardless of the obstacles in their way. Peace and joy forever more, to the next world. You will both be remembered dearly.