[5][6] Nesting female Philanthus triangulum wasps utilize philanthotoxin-containing venom to paralyze prey (generally working honey bees Apis mellifera though other species may be collected) by stinging directly behind the front legs through the articular membranes.

Paralyzed bee-prey may be stored for some length of time within the burrow and are regularly provisioned by the mother wasp to avoid spoiling due to fungal or bacterial infestation.

In other predatory wasp species that paralyze instead of immediately killing the prey they provide their offspring, spoilage is deferred significantly by the chemical process of paralysis.

Analysis of the provisioning of bee-prey by Beewolves, however, found that paralysis alone was not sufficient to prevent spoilage, and that additional preservation methods were associated with treatment by the female wasp.

[10] Notably, philanthoxin and its synthetic analogues are smaller than similar polyamine toxins form orb-web spider venoms and argiotoxins, and are easier to synthesize.

[15] Venoms from hymenoptera species have been used in Chinese, Korean, and ancient Greek and Egyptian traditional medical practices since 1000-3000 BCE to treat a variety of ailments, including various neurological disorders.

[12] Valued in part for their pharmacological usefulness, bees and wasps are heavily featured in the art and mythology of ancient Egypt, portrayed in hieroglyphs, amulets, and figurines.

[15] There is considerable interest in the therapeutic development of iGluR antagonists as anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, and agents to protect from ischemic brain damage and possibly neurodegeneration.

It is notable that this is a similar mechanism of action to the Alzheimer's drug Memantine, which has obtained good clinical results in the symptomatic treatment of Alzhiemer's disease.