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20 Intriguing Facts About Fire Ants

Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis, which includes over 200 species. Solenopsis are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the names shared by this genus are often used interchangeably to refer to other species of ant, such as the term red ant, mostly because of their similar coloration despite not being in the genus Solenopsis. 

Despite their intimidating reputation, fire ants are surprisingly adaptable and resourceful unlike other animal species. They have established vast colonies, very similar to honey bees, across the land, constructing intricate mounds that serve as their bustling metropolises. Within these subterranean kingdoms, fire ants exhibit a remarkable degree of social organization, working tirelessly to gather food, defend their territories, and raise their young. Their bite, a hallmark of their reputation, packs a powerful punch. The venom synonymous to that of a snake, injected during an encounter triggers a burning sensation, leaving behind a red, itchy welt that serves as a stark reminder of their formidable presence. Read more intriguing facts about Fire ants.

1. Fire ants are named for their reddish-brown coloration

Many of the names shared by this genus are often used interchangeably to refer to other species of ants, such as the term red ant, mostly because of their similar coloration.

There are over 280 known species of fire ants, but the most notorious is the red imported fire ant.

2. Fire ants are native to South America 

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Red imported fire ants are native to South America but have become invasive pests in many parts of the world. They were accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1930s and have since spread across the southern U.S.

Phorid flies, or Phoridae, are a large family of small, hump-backed flies somewhat smaller than vinegar flies; two species in this family, Pseudacteon tricuspis and Pseudacteon curvatus are parasitoids of the red imported fire ant in its native range in South America. 

3. Fire ants are resilient and can survive floods

During Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2017, clumps of fire ants, known as rafts, were seen clumped together on the surface of the water. Each clump had as many as 100,000 individual ants, which formed a temporary structure until finding a new permanent home.

Ants clumped in this way will recognize different fluid flow conditions and adapt their behaviour accordingly to preserve the raft’s stability.

4. Fire ants are social insects

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Fire ants live in colonies with a complex social structure. Colonies can contain hundreds of thousands of ants. They have a caste system, with a queen, worker ants, and male ants.

The other roles in an ant colony are usually undertaken by workers. Fire ant workers are haphazardly divided into different size classes, namely minima, minor, media, and major workers. The major ants are known for their larger size and more powerful mandibles typically used in macerating and storing food items i.e. as repletes, while smaller workers take care of regular tasks, the main tasks in a colony are caring for the eggs, larvae, and pupae, cleaning the nest, and foraging for food.

5. The queen is the largest fire ant in the colony 

Fire ant queens, the reproductive females in their colony, also are generally the largest. Their primary function is reproduction. Typically, a fire ant queen will seek to establish a new colony following a nuptial flight, wherein it will use its special venom to paralyze offending competitors, in the absence of workers for defence. 

Fire ant queens may live up to seven years and can produce up to 1,600 eggs per day, and colonies will have as many as 250,000 workers. The estimated potential life span is around 5 years and 10 months to 6 years and 9 months. Young, virgin fire ant queens have wings, as do male fire ants, but they often cut them off after mating. Although, occasionally a queen will keep its wings after mating and through her first year.

6. Male fire ants sole purpose is to mate with the queen

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Male fire ants mate with queens during a nuptial flight. After a male has successfully inseminated a queen, he will not get accepted back to the mother colony, and will eventually die outside the nest.

7. Fire ants have a painful sting 

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. 

For humans, this is a painful sting, a sensation similar to what one feels when burned by fire, and the after-effects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive people.

8. Fire ants are renowned for their ability to survive extreme weather conditions

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These ants are renowned for their ability to survive extreme conditions. They do not hibernate but can survive cold conditions, although this is costly to fire ant populations as observed during several winters in Tennessee, where 80 to 90% of colonies died due to several consecutive days of extremely low temperatures.

9. Fire ants nest in the soil

Fire ants nest in the soil, often near moist areas, such as river banks, pond shores, watered lawns, and highway shoulders. Usually, the nest will not be visible, as it will be built under objects such as timber, logs, rocks, or bricks. 

If no cover for nesting is available, dome-shaped mounds are constructed, but these are usually only found in open spaces, such as fields, parks, and lawns. These mounds can reach heights of 40 cm but can be even higher on heavier soils, standing at 1.0 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter.

10. Fire ants use venom to sting their prey

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This venom contains alkaloids and can cause pain, inflammation, and allergic reactions. Fire ant stings are painful, characterized by a local burning sensation, followed by urticaria. The sting site typically swells into a bump within hours, which can cause further pain and irritation, especially following several stings at the same place. 

Some people may become allergic to the venom, and if untreated, may become increasingly sensitive to the point of experiencing anaphylaxis following fire ant stings, which requires emergency treatment. Management of an emergency visit due to anaphylaxis is recommended with the use of adrenaline. It has been demonstrated that, whilst pustule formation results from the injected venom alkaloids, allergy to fire ant stings is caused solely by venom-allergenic proteins.

11. Fire ants are known for their aggressive behaviour

Fire ants are more aggressive than most native species, so have pushed many species away from their local habitat. Fire ants will attack anything they perceive as a threat to the colony.

One such species that Solenopsis ants parasitically take advantage of are bees, such as Euglossa imperialis, a nonsocial orchid bee species, from which the ants enter the cells from below the nest and rob the cell’s contents.

12. Fire ants can be used as a form of biological control

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Fire ants are used to control some pests, such as the red imported fire ant. Several entomopathogenic fungi are also natural enemies of fire ants, such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. 

The latter is commercially available for biological control, as an alternative to conventional pesticides for various pest insects, and a new proposed technology has increased its shelf life and efficiency against fire ants.

13. Fire ants are omnivorous

Fire ants eat a wide range of food, including other insects, small vertebrates, plants, and even carrion.

They are known to damage crops and agricultural fields by feeding on plant roots and seeds.

14. About 33% of the prey of the Venus flytrap are ants of various species including fire ants

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The Venus flytrap, a carnivorous plant, is native only to North and South Carolina in the United States. About 33% of the prey of the Venus flytrap are ants of various species. They lure their prey with a sweet sap. Once the prey has entered the trap and within about three seconds of touching two or three trigger hairs on the surface of the trap, the leaf closes around the prey and digests it. 

The majority of ants that are captured include non-native RIFAs, and three other species of ants. Other carnivorous plants, such as sundews and various kinds of pitcher plants also trap many ants.

15. The development of a fire ant colony involves complete metamorphosis

The development of a fire ant colony involves complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. The queen lays eggs, which hatch into larvae. Fire ants bring the larvae back to the nest, and protect them through the pupal stage in exchange for feeding on the fluid.

In Eurybia elvina, fire ants were observed to frequently construct soil shelters over later instars of larvae on inflorescences on which the larvae are found. Larva are cared for by worker ants until they pupate and emerge as adult ants.

16. Fire ants are highly territorial 

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Fire ants will defend their colony aggressively against other fire ant colonies. Interactions between different species of fire ants can lead to intense battles and even the displacement of one species by another.

Fire ants often attack small animals such as small lizards and can kill them. 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.

17. Fire ants continue to spread to new regions, especially in the United States

Pseudacteon flies appear to be important ecological constraints on Solenopsis species and they have been introduced throughout the southern United States, starting with Travis, Brazos, and Dallas counties in Texas, as well as south central Alabama, where the ants first entered North America.

18. Fire ants are known to form mutualistic relationships with several species of butterflies

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Fire ants have been known to form mutualistic relationships with several species of Lycaenidae and Riodinidae butterflies.

Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies, behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies, with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species. Riodinidae is a family of metalmark butterflies. The common name metalmarks refers to the small, metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. The 1,532 species are placed in 146 genera. 

19. Fire ants bodies are divided into three sections

The bodies of mature fire ants, like the bodies of all typical mature insects, are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. 

Fire ants of those species invasive in the United States can be distinguished from other ants locally present by their copper brown head and thorax with a darker abdomen.

20. Fire ant queens have a life span of up to seven years

Fire ant queens, the reproductive females in their colony, also are generally the largest. Their primary function is reproduction. Typically, a fire ant queen will seek to establish a new colony following a nuptial flight, wherein it will use its special venom to paralyze offending competitors, in the absence of workers for defence. 

Fire ant queens may live up to seven years and can produce up to 1,600 eggs per day, and colonies will have as many as 250,000 workers. The estimated potential life span is around 5 years and 10 months to 6 years and 9 months. Young, virgin fire ant queens have wings, as do male fire ants, but they often cut them off after mating. Although, occasionally a queen will keep its wings after mating and through her first year.

Fire ants may be small, but they are mighty creatures. They are fascinating, complex, and important members of our ecosystem. Despite their intimidating reputation, fire ants are surprisingly adaptable and resourceful. They have established vast colonies across the land, constructing intricate mounds that serve as their bustling metropolises. Within these subterranean kingdoms, fire ants exhibit a remarkable degree of social organization, working tirelessly to gather food, defend their territories, and raise their young.