Some ant species can cause bites that affect the human nervous system in a manner similar to snake and scorpion venom. Researchers at the University of Queensland have found neurotoxins in the bites of the Australian green ant and the South American slug ant that cause prolonged and intense pain.
How pain works
Dr. Robinson, a co-author of the study, explains that the venom of these ants targets the nerve cells that send pain signals. Normally, sodium channels in these sensory neurons open only briefly in response to a stimulus. But ant venom binds to the sodium channels and causes them to remain open and active, resulting in a longer-lasting pain signal.
Bullet ants and green ants
According to one scientist, the bite of a bullet ant can be painful for up to 12 hours, causing a stabbing pain felt in the bones, with sweating and goose bumps. There are no such ants in Australia, but the green ant (or green-headed ant) can also cause prolonged pain.
Dr. Justin Schmidt, the American entomologist who created the Stinging Insect Bite Pain Index, called the green ant the world's most painful insect.
Developing new ways to treat pain
Dr. Robinson notes that research into how pain works can help develop new ways to treat it. Neurotoxins that act on sodium channels are unique to ants; no one has found anything that works in the same way, so now we have a new set of tools to work with.
Ants are one of the most successful groups of animals on Earth, having developed their protective neurotoxins to defend themselves against predators as far back as dinosaur times.
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