Philanthotoxins are components of the venom of Egyptian solitary wasp

Wasp

The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...

 Philanthus triangulum F and four toxins are distinguished (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) among which delta-philanthotoxin (dPTX) is most effective to block glutamate receptors and especially those quisqualate-sensitive, that is AMPA receptor

AMPA receptor

The α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor is a non-NMDA-type ionotropic transmembrane receptor for glutamate that mediates fast synaptic transmission in the central nervous system . Its name is derived from its ability to be activated by the artificial glutamate analog AMPA...

. It has later been shown that dPTX targets calcium permeable AMPA receptor and kainate receptor

Kainate receptor

Kainate receptors, or KARs, are non-NMDA ionotropic receptors which respond to the neurotransmitter glutamate. They were first identified as a distinct receptor type through their selective activation by the agonist kainate, a drug first isolated from red algae Digenea simplex. KARs are less well...

 but not NMDA receptor

NMDA receptor

The NMDA receptor , a glutamate receptor, is the predominant molecular device for controlling synaptic plasticity and memory function....

.