Month: September 2022

HANDLING CAUSTIC LIQUIDS. "Although this pathway has been established in various organism, the uniqueness of the poison gland system is that it accumulates formic acid to large extent, yet avoids its cytotoxicity. This is made possible by a combination of the biochemical characteristics of the pathway and the special morphological features of the poison gland." All enzymes reactions at ambient temperatures. https://lnkd.in/eiAXv4p View in LinkedIn

TOXINS NEUTRALIZE TOXINS. "Nine formicine species, representing all major clades, used a stereotyped grooming behavior to self-apply formic acid...in response to fire ant...venom exposure. In laboratory assays, this behavior increased the survivorship of species following exposure to S. invicta venom. This pattern, combined with the specific chemistry of the reaction of formic acid with venom alkaloids, indicates that alkaloid venoms are targets of detoxification grooming." https://lnkd.in/eC4YnVu View in LinkedIn

ANTS SPRAY formic acid in coordinated manner against predators to great heights, being showered in the acid, over their eyes and in their breathing systems. Veritable chemical warfare. https://lnkd.in/e6BnhPq View in LinkedIn

FORMIC ACID DISINFECTANT. "Some of the ants would spray the poisonous cocktail directly onto the larvae, but most of them took an indirect route. They ‘licked’ their acidopore and sucked up their own poison into their mouths. They then cleaned their brood, and slathered the acidic poison over them in the process." Also used by bee-keepers, and for silage. https://lnkd.in/e7ptgTD View in LinkedIn

INSECT VENOMS are usually multi-component. "As unpleasant as the venom of the fire ants is, they meet their match in another species of ant, the ‘tawny crazy ant’. These two warring species of ants both make use of their venoms in conflict, but the tawny crazy ant uses chemistry to gain a clear advantage. They combat the toxicity of fire ant venom by detoxifying it with their own, which is based on formic acid." http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/08/28/insectvenoms/ View in LinkedIn

FORMIC acid is "water soluble, a drawback that prevents it from penetrating readily through the lipid-coated skeletal cuticle of insects. Formicine ants apparently solve this problem by by biting at the same time they spray...and direct the fluid into the site bitten." https://lnkd.in/eUMcYHa View in LinkedIn

MINOR COMPONENTS. "The formic acid in venom is spread over twice as large an area of the insect cuticle as the same concentration of control aqueous formic acid. He thus concludes that the white residue (amino acids) contributes to the toxicity of the formic acid by distributing the toxicant over a larger area than would be treated otherwise." Wetting agents as yet to be identified. https://lnkd.in/er4-M-a View in LinkedIn

A WETTING AGENT, undecane is co-secreted with formic acid from the Dufour gland as a method to spread the formic acid, as well as a pheromone to attract other workers, and as a trail marker. (Page 211). https://lnkd.in/etzgaTg View in LinkedIn

ANT FORMIC ACID VENOM biosynthesis pathway starts with serine, glycine and histidine to make formic acid (page 444). https://lnkd.in/eC6G2BW View in LinkedIn

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION to atmospheric formic acid has been estimated as follows (Tg/yr): atmospheric chemistry, 30; formicine ants, 0.6; motor vehicles, 0.002; biomass and refuse combustion,