Solenopsis invicta, commonly called the fire ant or red imported fire ant, is an ant native to South America first described in 1916 and given its current species name in 1972. Accidentally introduced to Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia and the Caribbean, Europe and the United States, it is polymorphic, with red and yellowish workers of varying shapes and sizes and entirely black males, and it dominates altered habitats ranging from rainforest and desert to roadsides and buildings, building large mounds with no visible entrance because its foraging tunnels emerge well away from the nest.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleInvasive or Introduced Species 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceWorkers red and somewhat yellowish with a brown or black gaster; males completely black 1 Scientific Name Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Red imported fire ant - Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Antigua and Barbuda, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Argentina, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Australia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Bahamas, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Bolivia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Brazil, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: China, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Dominican Republic, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Ecuador, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: El Salvador, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: France, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Jamaica, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Malaysia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Mexico, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: New Zealand, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: North America, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Paraguay, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Peru, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Saint Kitts and Nevis, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Saint Lucia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: South America, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: South Asia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: South Korea, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Trinidad and Tobago, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: United States, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Uruguay, found in there.
Sources
1. Red imported fire ant - Wikipedia
Lead paragraph, first sentence
Solenopsis invicta, the fire ant, or red imported fire ant (RIFA)
Lead paragraph, colour sentence
The ant's colours are red and somewhat yellowish with a brown or black gaster, but males are completely black.
- lives in wide variety of land habitats
- accidentally introduced in Australia, New Zealand, several Asian and Caribbean countries, Europe and the United States
- In Biome: Grassland, Wikipedia intro: "and live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in rainforests, disturbed areas, deserts, grasslands, alongside roads and buildings, and in electrical..."
View the Source2. Wikidata: Red Imported Fire Ant
- Wikidata Q1194382, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Introduction
View the SourceIUCN Red List of Threatened Species
GBIF Species API
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: HymenopteraView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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