Obituary | The King of Sting

Justin Schmidt made a lifetime study of insects that attack us

The intrepid entomologist, stung hundreds of times, died on February 18th, aged 75

Justin Schmidt
Image: Robert Clark

To be stung by a wasp, an ant or a bee raises—beyond the “Ow!”—immediate questions. How can a creature so tiny inflict such remarkable pain? And why, when all you have done is to make a jam sandwich or dare to eat a peach, does it launch such a vicious and unprovoked attack?

This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “The King of Sting”

From the March 11th 2023 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Discover more

Celeste Caeiro at age 90 holds a bouquet of carnations during a military parade to celebrate the Carnation Revolution's 50th anniversary in Lisbon, Portugal  on April 25th 2024

Celeste Caeiro’s small gesture named a revolution

The Portuguese restaurant worker and single mother died on November 15th, aged 91

Frank Auerbach in his studio

Frank Auerbach aimed only at one memorable image

Britain’s most obsessive figurative painter died on November 11th, aged 93


Baltazar Ushca extracts ice from the slopes of the Chimborazo volcano, in Chimborazo province, Ecuador on November 16th 2007

Baltazar Ushca climbed Chimborazo twice a week

The last Ecuadorean ice-harvester died on October 11th, aged 80


Quincy Jones ruled popular music for half a century

The producer, arranger and film-score writer died on November 3rd, aged 91

Lily Ebert lived to share her story of Auschwitz

The Holocaust survivor and memoirist died on October 9th, aged 100

Fethullah Gulen tried to transform Turkey in the subtlest ways

The scholar, teacher and activist died on Ocrober 20th, aged 83