What chemicals do ant bites release?
The acid produced by ants is called formic acid. The name comes from the Latin word for ant, which is “formica.” Chemically, it is a simple carboxylic acid. The most common species of black ant in the United States is the black carpenter ant, which delivers a small amount of formic acid through its jaws as it bites. Formic acid is also found in stinging nettles and the bites and stings of other insects.
More Info:
animals.mom.com
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8 Comments
Mark G. Feeney
No wonder my Formica counter tops were often covered in ants
Ken Putnam
Jeff Webster,
??
They were called Fomics
vonlora
for carpenter ants, others have piperidine
Jerry Edwards
Pat Wells,
Beware of congratulating a potential member of QC Admin.
Take a look at the profile and note that Sameer has attempted to answer no questions but has already composed and submitted one!
Pat Wells
Congratulations on your first question, Sameer. It is a good one!
Linda Stegall
Interesting. I didn't know this but got the correct answer by eliminating the ones I knew.
Frank Cowell
good question!
Jeff Webster
It’s amazing what you learn from. I knew the answer to this question from the “Talent” fantasy series by Anne McCaffrey. If you ever saw the US movie “Ender’s Game”, the aliens that Ender destroyed were giant ants called “Formica”