Venom organ failure. Many caterpillars have defensive venom glands associated with specialized bristles on the body, known as urticating hairs, which can be lethal to humans (e.g., that of the "Lonomia" moth), although the venom's strength varies depending on the species. Bees synthesize and employ an acidic venom (apitoxin) to cause pain in those that they sting to defend their hives and food stores, whereas wasps use a chemically different alkaline venom designed to paralyze prey, so it can be stored alive in the food chambers of their young. The use of venom is much more widespread than just these examples.
Evolution of snake venom eggs, meaning that the snake had no use for its venom. This has led biologists to suggest that if venom is not used by a species, it is rapidly lost. Venom atrophication has also occurred following the evolution of constriction as a method of prey capture that does not require venom. Constriction is hypothesized to have evolved independently in several lineages. North American ‘rat snakes’ such as the Corn snake "Pantherophis guttatus" use constriction to trap and kill their rodent prey, and do not possess functional venom. A similar process has occurred in the African colubrid lineage Lamprophiidae, such as