**4. Venom composition and pharmacological properties**

The ant's venoms have been investigated in a relatively small number of species. In the group of stinging ants, the most investigated species belong to the Myrmeciinae, Ponerinae, Pseu‐ domyrmecinae and Myrmicinae subfamilies. They produce aqueous solutions of proteina‐ ceous venoms containing enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins, free amino-acids and small biologically active compounds like histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, acetylcholine, norepi‐ nephrine, and dopamine [16,17]. Venoms with proteinaceous components are considered as most primitive and are consequently found in other aculeate hymenopterans like wasps and bees [4,16]. A notable exception to this proteinaceous nature of the venom in ants with sting is found in ants of the genera *Solenopsis* (fire ants) and *Monomorium* (Myrmicinae) that produce alkaloid-rich venoms with few proteins. In the Formicinae ants (ex: *Camponotus*, *Formica*), the sting is no more presented, but the poison gland produces a mixtures of simple organic acids an aqueous solution. Formic acid is presented in concentrations up to 65% along with some peptides and free amino-acids [16,17].

As a member of a group of predatory ants (Ponerinae), it is expected that *Dinoponera* would produces such a kind of proteinaceous venom. However, until now few studies have been done with *Dinoponera* venoms. In two of these studies, which compared venoms of a variety of hymenopterans, the presence of proteins, some with enzyme activities (phospholipase A, hyaluronidase, and lipase), was shown for *D. grandis* (in fact, *D. gigantea*) venom [16,29]. In a more recent study, in which the peptide components from the venom of *D. australis* was investigated, over 75 unique protein components were found with a large diversity of properties ranging in size, hydrophobicity, and overall abundance [30]. The biological effects of several ants' venoms have been attributed to their protein repertoire. As showed by [31] high molecular weight proteins are present in the venom of *Dinoponera australis*. In a compa‐ rative evaluation of protein composition of hymenopteran venom reservoirs, proteins with molecular weight ranging from 24 to 75kDa were evidenced [29]. Additionaly, two peptides with less than 10 kDa, as well as proteins with molecular weight ranging from 26-90 kDa were also found in the venom of *Myrmecia pilosula* [32]. The electrophoretic profile of wasps also shows variation in the protein molecular weight, ranging from 5 to 200kDa [33,34], whereas the venoms of bees was shown to range from 2 to108 kDa [35].
