Ant venom

Ant venom
Sterile pustules 3 days after fire ant stings.
Specialty	Emergency medicine

Ant venom is any of, or a mixture of, irritants and toxins inflicted by ants. Most ants spray or inject a venom, the main constituent of which is formic acid only in the case of subfamily Formicinae.

Of all extant ant species, about 71% are considered to be stinging species, as some subfamilies have evolutionarily lost the ability to sting.^[1] Notable examples include a few species of medical importance, such as Solenopsis (fire ants), Pachycondyla, Myrmecia (bulldog ants), and Paraponera (bullet ants). In the case of fire ants, the venom consists mainly of alkaloid (>95%) and protein (<1%) components.^[2] Stinging ants cause a cutaneous condition that is different from that caused by biting venomous ants. Particularly painful are stings from fire ants, although the bullet ant's sting is considered by some to be the most painful insect sting.^[3]: 450

First aid for fire ant bites includes external treatments and oral medicines.^{[citation needed]}

• External treatments: a topical steroid cream (hydrocortisone), or one containing Aloe vera^[4]
• Oral medicines: antihistamines
• Applying zinc oxide or calamine lotion.

Severe allergic reactions can be caused by ant stings in particular and venomous stings in general, including severe chest pain, nausea, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling, fever, dizziness, and slurred speech;^[5] they can be fatal if not treated.

• Acidopore
• Poneratoxin, the neurotoxic component of bullet ant venom
• Pulicosis (flea bites)
• Skin lesion
• Solenopsin, the primary toxin in fire ant venom