are there any ants that are poisonous??

Question

I'm doing a presentation on ants in my class, but i haven't found anything saying that ants are poisonous (whether it be just one or a lot). I would take it that it means that there aren't any, but i just want to make sure. Does anyone know of any ants that are poisonous??

Answer 1

all ants carry a substance called formic acid as a defence mechanism. this stuff certainly ain't healthy for us humans! it's what makes them smell so ghastly when you squash one too...

there are many many thousands of ants which have a poisonous bite to them - the fire ants mentioned here are just the "flavour of the month" because they're in the news. I live in Australia and we have a couple species of nasty little beasts called "Bull Ants". Their bite is very very painful and can produce an allergic reaction in people so they would be considered poisonous. Same goes for another nasty here - the Jack Jumper. I've seen a friend go into full anaphylactic shock from getting bitten by one of these. Anaphylaxis is the most severe human bodily reaction to a toxin and usually requires hospitalisation.

Finally, ants are THE most ubiquitous (and therefore successful in terms of evolution!) species extant on the earth. 10% of the biomass comprises ants and there's anecdotal evidence to suggest that you're never more than a metre away from an ant, no matter where you are!

hope this helps!

love and light,


Jarrah

Answer 2

Ants do not have a poisonous bite. Many of them
have a sting like that of a wasp, which is essentially
what an ant is, a wingless (except in queens and
males of many) wasp. The stings of ants in the
United States may be mildly painful, but do not
endanger anyone who is not hypersensitive to
such things. In the tropics and in Australia there
are some ants whose stings have a very bad
reputation for being extremely painful. One of
them is called the Bullet Ant. These could be
dangerous if a person received multiple stings.

Most common ants in the northeastern U.S. are
not stinging kinds. They may produce secretions
with various odors, some pleasant, some not.
They may bite if disturbed, and in some cases
might then rub abdominal secretions on the bite,
and this could cause slight pain. Ants generally
produce many chemical secretions, some of which
are defensive, others are used to communicate
with other ants. Eating ants could be somewhat
bad for one's health if a lot of them were eatern
but it is likely that the taste would prevent most
people from eating many. It is notable that many
animals avoid ants as food, unless they are ant
specialists. However, some of the things called
anteaters probably eat more termites than they
do ants.

Answer 3

There may be poisonous ants, that is, if you eat them, you die. I know of none. I am allergic to two ants venoms, which they inject by stings. I suffer headaches and nausea from Australian Bulldog ants and Jumping Jacks. The Jumping Jacks put people in hospital with allergic reactions on a regular occassion. Ants are social insects which have developed various methods of defending the colony and nest. One method is stinging, venom is injected through a sting in the tail. Much like a bee sting. The exception is that the ant is like a wasp and does not lose it's sting and can again.
Look for venemous and ants.

Answer 4

The Fire Ant that was brought into the southern USA is a poisonous ant. It can kill insects, animals and sometimes people (if bitten by enough ants at the same time).

Answer 5

There is one type of small black ant here in the desert around Palm desert. I was bit by at least 10 of them and the venom is very painful. After exposed to these ants my arms and face began to swell and there was much irrititation I ran for the shower then took 3 bend royal then off to urgent care. As I got there my breathing gave me trouble....any way beware the insects of the desert can be deadly.

Answer 6

Fire Ants, they are very aggressive and they sting relentlessly. They are mostly found in the Southeast part of the US. The venom is not really poisonous, it is bactericidal. Death can occur in hypersensitive people or small children. Not because of one sting, but because they sting you multiple times.
http://www.geo-outdoors.info/fire_ants.htm