Invasive Species Fire Ants

Invasive species are a threat to all living things. A great number of animals and plants are in constant danger from invasive species. Fire ants are one of the most dangerous examples because they can easily find their way into your garden, house or yard and definitely become a pest. The sooner we destroy them, the better. The red fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an invasive ant species that was accidentally introduced into the United States from South America. The red and black fire ant is highly aggressive, with barbed stings that, although rarely fatal to healthy humans, provide a uniquely painful burning sensation described as “being branded” or “skewered with hot needles.”

Invasive Species Fire Ants

Adult Description: Well known to most Texans, Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) are small ants that live in colonies and consist of several types of adults: winged males, reproductives and worker ants. Workers are sterile females ranging in size from 3-6mm in length. Winged males, or “reproductives” live in the colony until their mating flight where they fly with the queen to establish a new colony, then die. Queens can attain greater sizes (9mm), especially when they are mature and producing eggs. Queens, winged males, and workers are reddish-brown in appearance, and look very similar to other Solenopsis species, including the Ginger ant Solenopsis geminata (native) and the Black Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis richteri (invasive). Red Imported Fire Ants are also notorious for their sting for which they are named. The stinger is obvious on the abdomen under close examination.

Larva Description: The larval stage typically lasts 6 to 12 days, while the pupal stage lasts for 9 to 16 days. The larvae and pupae are small and a non-descript white color.

Host Plant: None

 

ECOLOGICAL THREAT

Any Texan who has walked through a field and seen dozens of Red Fire Ant mounds knows the destructive power of the Red Imported Fire Ant. Not only are the mounds unsightly, but they can ruin lawns and, more ecologically important, they can displace native ants from their habitat. These native ants, including the Texas Leaf-Cutter Ant, the Harvester Ant, as well as the Carpenter Ant are out-competed and even face hostility from Red Imported Fire Ants. This has led to a reduction in population numbers of all indigenous ants.

Birds, especially those that are ground-nesters such as the Bobwhite Quail, are vulnerable to the Red Imported Fire Ant. These ants are notorious for eating newly-hatched chicks or destroying unhatched eggs. Any unfortunate insect, lizard, bird, mammal, or amphibian that is unlucky enough to disturb a Red Imported Fire ant mound is sure to be attacked and are often killed. Red Imported Fire Ants attack very quickly and in great numbers, as many humans who have accidentally stepped on a mound will attest.

In addition to their ecological effects on native fauna, humans are impacted economically by the Red Imported Fire Ant. Lawns, ranches, or other lands can be permanently altered by the Red Imported Fire Ant because of their ability to build many mounds in a clustered area. It is not uncommon to see an entire field dotted with large Red Imported Fire Ant mounds.

BIOLOGY

Red Imported Fire Ants are prolific breeders and aggressive feeders which make them a successful invader. Mounds can be hundreds of thousands of individuals strong, and multiple queen colonies exist whose individuals can move between mounds freely.  This ultimately leads to an increase in the number of mounds that may be found within an area. Thus, Red Imported Fire Ants are able to take over an area rather quickly by turning fields into homogeneous, desolate wastelands comprised of dozens of Red Imported Fire Ant mounds. Most Texans have observed this phenomenon, possibly in their own backyard.

HISTORY

The Red Imported Fire Ant was introduced around the 1930’s and has spread to infest more than 260 million acres of land in 9 southeastern states, including all, or portions of, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. This species has become very abundant, displacing many native ant species. It has the potential of spreading west and surviving in southern Arizona and along the Pacific coast north to Washington.

Invasive Species Fire Ants

Fire ants are one of the most destructive invasive species in the United States. These tiny pests have been known to cause painful stings and can be difficult to get rid of. They are also known to damage crops, homes, and other structures. Fire ants are native to South America but were accidentally introduced into the United States in the 1930s. Today they can be found throughout much of the southern part of the country, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

There are two types of fire ants: red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) and black fire ants (Solenopsis richteri). Both varieties can be identified by their coloration – red fire ants have bright red bodies with dark-colored legs while black fire ants have dark brown or black bodies with light legs. However, both species are easily identified by their painful stings which can cause anaphylaxis in some people (a severe allergic reaction).

List Of Invasive Species Fire Ants