Two volatiles from the venom gland of the Samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.03.005
• Publication Date: 2009-03-14T06:24:23Z
• Authors: Mahmood Reza Nikb...; Siavosh Tirgari; Mohammad Reza Fak...; Hamzeh Alipour
• Keywords: Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Exocrine Glands; Ant Venoms; Ants; Tissue Extracts; Pyrazines; Animals; Iran; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Allergy and anaphylactic reactions after the stings of the Samsum ant Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Mayr, 1862) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) have been reported from several countries along the Persian Gulf coast, but no analysis has been yet carried out on the ant's venom gland secretions. This study is focused on the identification of volatiles from the venom gland of Pachycondyla sennaarensis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which showed the presence of The main volatile components of the venom gland were phenol-2,4-bis(1,1 dimethylethyl) and trimethyl pyrazine. This is the first record of the occurrence of phenol-2,4-bis(1,1 dimethylethyl) in insects. The venom gland secretions of Pachycondyla species are known contain a variety of volatiles, making the members of this genus distinctive among the ponerine ants.