One way fire ants ultimately establish new colonies is to disperse through mating (nuptial) flights (Fig. 1). During these flights, winged male and female fire ants (called alates) leave the nest, fly high into the sky and mate. These …
Fire Ant Biology
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Ant developmental stages
Fire Ant Habitat
Imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are social insects that usually produce hills or mounds in open areas where …
What are flying ants?
Two red imported fire ant alates preparing to lift off for nuptial flight. USDA photo.
Most ant species, including fire ants, produce flying ants. Often called winged ants or alates, flying ants are fertile male or female ants that …
Ants and Electrical Equipment
Fire Ant and Harvester Ant Strategies for Carrying Different Sized Objects: Dumb Ant Tricks or Good Examples of Behavioral Adaptation by Insects?
Two examples of insect learning are shown on this page. Red harvester ants don’t normally come into contact with a dime, and red imported fire ants don’t normally have to crawl through columns of small glass beads. Watch the videos …
Identifying Fire Ants
What do fire ants look like? How can I tell them apart from other ants?
In the United States, imported fire ants currently inhabit all or parts of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, …
Fire Ant Stings
How a Fire Ant Stings
Thousands of fire ants live in just one fire ant nest. If a mound is disturbed, hundreds of ants immediately rush out, climb on whatever disturbed them, including humans, and sting. There is some …
Fire Ant Morphology, Reproduction, and Development
If it were it not for the painful experiences associated with fire ants, most people might find these creatures fascinating. Their life cycle and social behavior are surprisingly complex.
Habitat: Fire Ant Colony
Fire ants live in colonies in …
Fire Ant Habitat and Food Sources
Imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), are social insects that usually produce hills or mounds in open areas where the colonies reside. These fire ants build mounds in almost any type of soil, but prefer open, …