Meanings
plural insectotoxins
- biochemistryA toxin that specifically affects insects.
2001, N. Sperelakis, M. Sunagawa, M. Nakamura, H. Yokoshiki, T. Seki, 11: Toxins that Affect Ion Channrls, Pumps and Exchangers, Daniel Acosta, Cardiovascular Toxicology, 3rd Edition, page 343, The insectotoxins may also target the insect post-synaptic glutamate receptor.
3 more examples
It is, however, highly homologous to the scorpion insectotoxins derived from Buthus eupeus venom.
2001, Kenneth M. Blumenthal, “38: Ion Chaannels as Targets for Toxins”, in Nicholas Sperelakis, editor, Cell Physiology Source Book: Essentials of Membrane Biophysics, page 6402011, Zhiwei Cai, Jeng-Haur Chen, Lauren K. Hughes, Hongyu Li, David N. Sheppard, The Physiology and Pharmacology of the CFTR Cl⁻ Channel, Michael Pusch, Chloride Movements Across Cellular Membranes, page 133, DeBin et al. (1993) purified a 4.1 kDa basic peptide from scorpion venom with sequence similarity to small insectotoxins.
The cytolytic acting peptides from Cupiennius salei are grouped into several cupiennin families; in Lachesana tarabaevi the short peptides are called latarcins, the large cyto-insectotoxins.
2013, Wolfgang Nentwig, Lucia Kuhn Nentwig, “14: Main Components of Spider Venoms”, in Wolfgang Nentwig, editor, Spider Ecophysiology, page 195
Origin
From insect + -o- + toxin modelled on neurotoxin, etc.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
insectotoxin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insectotoxin
“insectotoxin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insectotoxin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insectotoxin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insectotoxin.
Source: insectotoxin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.