Inspired by this collection of photos of dogs who thought it was a good idea to eat bees.
Why is swelling a common response to insect stings? Is this:
A) an evolved response on the part of the victim that somehow helps it cope with the venom,
or
B) an evolved property of the venom that helps make a sting more unpleasant, thereby helping the stinging insect,
or
C) a side effect of envenomation that isn’t particularly helpful to either party?