What is Insect toxin?
[[File:Hycleus lugens, Meloidae edit1.jpg|thumb|A [[blister beetle]] (hycleus lugens), with warning coloration. ]] [[File:Vespa crabro 02.JPG|thumb|A [[hornet]].]] [[File:Wood ant mound.jpg|thumb|An anthill.]] Many [[insect]]s use [[poison]]s. They use them to protect themselves against [[parasite]]s, and against [[predator]]s. Some insects also use them for hunting and killing [[prey]]. These poisons are known as '''insect toxins'''. They are types of [[protein]] [[toxin]]s. Sometimes the poisons [[arthropod]]s use are called insect toxin as well; [[scorpion]]s use them, for example.<ref>E. Zlotkin et al.: ''An excitatory and a depressant insect toxin from scorpion venom both affect sodium conductance and possess a common binding site.'' In: ''Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics'' 240, Nr.&nbsp;2, 1985, S.&nbsp;877–887.</ref><ref>M. E. De Lima et al.: ''Tityus serrulatus toxin VII bears pharmacological properties of both β-toxin and insect toxin from scorpion venoms.'' In: ''Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications'' 139, Nr.&nbsp;1, 1986, pp.&nbsp;296–302.</ref><ref>H. Darbon et al.: ''Covalent structure of the insect toxin of the North African scorpion Androctonus australis Hector.'' In: ''International Journal of Peptide and Protein Research'' 20, Nr.&nbsp;4, 1982, pp.&nbsp;320–330, {{doi|10.1111/j.1399-3011.1982.tb00897.x}}.</ref> There are different ways, in which these toxins can be applied: * Many insects use a [[stinger]], which injects the toxin directly. Exaples of these are [[Bee|bees]], and [[Hornet|hornets]] * Some insects throw packets of poison, examples are [[Beetle|beetles]] of the familiy [[Brachininae]]. * Some [[Ant|ants]] of the genus Formicinae, as well as [[Caterpillar|caterpillars]] of the [[puss moth]] spray poison. * [[Ladybug|Ladybugs]] can [[Secretion|secrete]] poison from their body. Other insects simply contain poison, to protect against predation. Many poisonsous insects have a [[Warning colouration|warning coloration]]. [[Reduviidae|Assassin bugs]], sometim