Ants that commonly invade homes, damage structures, inflict painful bites, or sting humans or their pets are considered pest ants. Ants belonging to the genus solenopsis can readily be distinguished from all other ant species in north america by their 10segmented antennae with a 2. Imported fire ant definition is either of two moundbuilding south american fire ants solenopsis richteri and s. Cs lofgrenhistory of the imported fire ants in the united states. Included are wellknown invasive troublemakers such as the red imported fire ant and argentine ant, as well as native species. This comprehensive reference work on these economically significant ants includes the scientific, english, french, spanish, and german names for each species and a summary of invasive ant species. The egg, larval, and pupal stages occur within the underground nest and are only seen when nests are disturbed or when they are being carried to a different location by workers.
The red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren hymenoptera. Red imported fire ants rifas, for short get their common name from their ability to inflict painful bites and stings. The imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, in the southern united states. The imported fire ants, particularly the red ones, were more competitive than other ant species and quickly displaced them. Formicidae, is a stinging, invasive ant from south america that has plagued. Aug 17, 2011 2019 may all bugs good and bad webinar ins and outs of termite treatments duration. Formicidae, are social insects that usually produce hills or mounds in open areas where the colonies reside. A member of the genus solenopsis in the subfamily myrmicinae, it was described by swiss entomologist felix santschi as a variant in 1916. Texas imported fire ant research and management project. Responding to a collective call from southerners to eliminate these invasive pests, the u. Red imported fire ants in the united states stephanie l. These fire ants build mounds in almost any type of soil, but prefer open, sunny areas such as meadows, pastures, parks, playgrounds, lawns, and golf courses, as well as agricultural land and wilderness areas.
Natural migration of ifa was first documented in tennessee in hardin county in 1987. Ants american international pictures 1977 or the paperback book, the fire. Imported fire ants ifa were accidentally introduced into the united states from south america, beginning in about 1918. Fanning out across the region, the fire ants invaded the south, damaging crops, harassing game animals, and hindering harvesting methods. Jan 02, 2020 two species of imported fire ants ifa were introduced into the united states from south america at the port of mobile, alabama. It feeds mainly on other insects, but will eat just about. Eleanors book of common ants, spicer rice, wild, dunn.
The goal of the texas imported fire ant research and management project is to find effective methods to eliminate this invasive species as a major economic and medical pest. A general introduction and a history of their invasion of north america open the door to additional chapters on natural history, origin and evolution, animals that. They have since spread to every corner of every county in the state and through most of the southeastern united states see. Sep 06, 2017 the science behind those fire ant rafts by arizona state university a raft of red imported fire ants in north carolina floats over land that normally forms the bank of a pond. Walter tschinkels passion for fire ants has been stoked by over thirty years of exploring the rhythm and drama of solenopsis invictas biology. The black imported fire ant, solenopsis richteri forel, arrived around 1918 and the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, in the late 1930s. Red imported fire ants look very similar to other solenopsis species, including the tropical fire ant, s. Originally named solenopsis saevissima wagneri from a syntype worker collected from santiago del estero, argentina, santschi believed the ant was a variant of s. Red imported fire ant biology singlequeen colonies have only. Red imported fire ants live in colonies that contain creamcolored immature ants, called the brood. The red imported fire ant solenopsis invicta, also known as the fire ant or rifa, is a species of ant native to south america. There are books on particular problems of social insect biology, and of course the landmark volume by holldobler and wilson treats all ant biology. There are over 10,000 species of ants, many of which have evolved extraordinarily diverse life strategies.
Worker ants have round heads with mandibles, an armored thorax midsection and an abdomen, made up of the pedicle and the gaster. A typical fire ant colony produces large mounds in open areas, and feeds mostly on young plants, seeds, and sometimes crickets. Today, imported fire ants are present throughout alabama. Sometime in the first half of the twentieth century, a coterie of fire ants came ashore from south american ships docked in mobile, alabama. The castes include winged males, winged females, workers, and one or more mated queens.
Imported fire ant and household insects research usda ars. They first entered the country around 1918 near mobile, alabama, and made their way into southern mississippi by the 1930s. Richards, phd, medical entomologist the black imported fire ant solenopsis richteri and red imported fire ant solenopsis invicta were respectively imported into alabama in 1918 and the late 1930s in soil used as ship ballast. Biology red imported fire ants live in colonies that contain creamcolored to white immature ants, often called brood. The wonderful wisdom of ants is an engaging, accessible and funny book for small and not so small people on ant ecology and what we can learn from ants and the way they function. Fire ants mississippi state university extension service. Fire ant biology imported fire ants, like all ants, are related to wasps and bees.
Biological studies of the queen pheromone of the red imported fire ant. The castes include winged males, winged females which are unmated queens. Fire ant anatomy is similar to that of most ant species. Therefore, the presence of the ant may be beneficial when consuming other pest species.
Fire ant biology basic a resource for master gardeners. Both species probably came to the port in soil used as ballast in cargo ships. The book is informative and full of excellent illustrations that kids love. Fire ants are endemic to southern and south eastern united states and thus far no previous reports of anaphylaxis to fire ants have been documented in canada. We searched medline, biological abstracts, and the us department of agriculture formis ant literature database. The red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta, continues to spread across north carolina, in part because of favorable climate conditions that aid its natural spread as well as increased residential and industrial development across the state which provides opportunities for fire ants colonies to be moved around the state in infested soil, sod, nursery stock, and other materials. Fire ants are red and black in coloration and, like all insects, they are protected by a hard exoskeleton and have six legs. Mounds can reach 18 inches in height, depending on the type of soil. Eleanors book of common ants, eleanor spicer rice, alex wild, and rob dunn is published by university of chicago press. Fire ant biology mississippi state university extension.
Its current specific name invicta was given to the ant in 1972 as a separate species. Real green pest and lawn austin, tx red imported fire ants. And you will learn why, no matter how good a job you do controlling fire ants, they always come back. Review of the wonderful wisdom of ants childrens books. Pdf on jan 1, 2007, jesse minor and others published fire ant find, read and. To examine this question i first will cover the fire ants biology and then some of. Management managing the red imported fire ant has proven difficult, as the ants are hearty and tough to eradicate. These dark reddishbrown ants are an invasive species found throughout the southern part of the u. This illustrated identification guide highlights forty species of ants that pose difficulties in urban settings. This is a wonderful book, comprehensive in its coverage of fire ant social biology, extraordinarily lucid in its description of complex topics, and beautifully.
The biology of the red imported fire ant and the black imported fire ant is similar. Once considered simply an outdoor pest limited to a range of a few southern states in the usa, it now appears to be a broader problem with anaphylaxis reported in more northern states 1. They feed primarily on insects and arthropod pests, which can reduce the need for insecticides in commercial agriculture. In addition, members of this genus are known to interbreed. Biology texas imported fire ant research and management project. In the years preceding the arrival of the red imported fire ant, the black imported fire ant slowly spread into adjacent counties in alabama and florida. Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Many ants will tend leaffeeding insects, such as aphids or. Biology texas imported fire ant research and management. Pdf the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, hereafter referred to as. The brood is comprised of the eggs, larvae, and pupae. Fire ants solenopsis invicta are native to the south american countries of brazil, paraguay, uruguay and argentina.
Red imported fire ant biology red imported fire ants live in colonies that contain creamcolored to white immature ants, often called brood. Among the more famous are army ants, leafcutter ants, driver ants, weaver ants, and slavemaking ants. The red imported fire ant was first described by swiss entomologist felix santschi in a 1916 journal article published by physis. Solenopsis invicta red imported fire ant solenopsis richteri black imported fire ant imported fire ants are not native to the united states. A typical fire ant colony produces large mounds in open areas, and feeds mostly on young plants and seeds. The fire ants stands out for its focus on a single species, covering the entire range of an enormous literature. Although most fire ant colonies have only one reproducing queen, multiqueen colonies are common in some areas. The red imported fire ant, or solenopsis invicta, is about an eighth of an inch long, with a ruddybrown body covered in tiny hairs. Near the turn of the millennium the dominant species, the red imported fire ant, finally. The presence of imported fire ants in the united states was first reported in 1929 by loding. Fire ants are stinging ants of the genus solenopsis. It will therefore be of interest to specialists and to a more general audience who wish to learn about what is important in the ant. Since south american fire ants arrived in mobile, alabama, in the 1940s, they have spread to become one of the most reviled pests in the sunbelt.
Ants can form tight mutualisms with other species, both plant and animal. The science behind those fireant rafts by arizona state university a raft of red imported fire ants in north carolina floats over land that normally forms the bank of a pond. Observations of predation by red imported fire ants on live trapped wild cotton rats pp. Imported fire ants, solenopsis invicta and solenopsis richteri hymenoptera. Near the turn of the millennium the dominant species, the red imported fire ant, finally made its longfeared leap across the hostile western desert into the greener oasis of southern california, where it stood poised to infest the richest agricultural region in the country. Fire ants are more of a problem in new neighborhoods than in older neighborhoods, where there is a more stabilized ecosystem. Pdf biological control of imported fire ants hymenoptera. A general introduction and a history of their invasion of north america open the door to additional chapters on natural history, origin and evolution, animals that share the fire ants nest, the mixed. The first confirmed sighting of ifa in tennessee was an isolated infestation in shelby county in 1948, which was quickly eradicated. Imported fire ant definition of imported fire ant by. Both species probably came to the port in soil used as ballast. Urban ants of north america and europe also contains valuable information on the diagnosis and treatment of human reactions to ant stings and bites.
Fire ant biology and ecology environment, land and water. Ant control program preventative maintenance its important to understand that first the fire ant issue is a manmade problem. In urban areas fire ants feed on flea larvae, chinch bugs, cockroach eggs, ticks and other pests. Pharaoh ants, monomorium pharaonis, and argentine ants, linepithema humile formerly iridomyrmex humilis, in urban environments. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants bite only to get a grip and then sting from the abdomen and inject a toxic alkaloid venom called solenopsin, a compound from the class of piperidines. Keep reading to le arn more red ant facts, including information on red ant.
Most notorious is solenopsis invicta buren, the red imported fire ant rifa, followed by the much less common solenopsis geminata fabricius, the tropical or native fire ant. The red imported fire ant life cycle, like that of other social hymenoptera ants, bees, and wasps, consists of four main stages. The red imported fire ant builds mounds in almost any type of soil, but prefers open, sunny areas such as pastures, parks, lawns, meadows and cultivated fields. The books and booklets found here are intended to be used for personal information, educational materials or public outreach to help increase knowledge on invasive species. A case of the first documented fire ant anaphylaxis in canada. Identification of fire ants in the genus solenopsis is difficult and requires evaluating a series of differentsized workers. Imported fire ants, however, have been shown to have a positive effect in cotton and sugar cane production because they prey on important pests, such as caterpillars. Also within the colonies are adult ants of different types, or castes. Introduction of fire ant biological control agents into the coachella. In this authoritative book, five economically important species take center stage. Eleanors book of common ants, spicer rice, wild, dunn all chicago e books are on sale at 30% off with the code ebook30. Red imported fire ants are pests of urban, agricultural and wildlife areas and can pose a serious health threat to plants and animals. These are the red imported fire ant, the black imported fire ant, the tropical fire ant, the southern fire ant, and the golden fire ant. The red imported fire ant is a generalist predator.
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