Fire ant
Some Solenopsis sp. workers
The fire ant ( Solenopsis ) or thief ants are a genus of ants ( Formicidae ) and to the subfamily of red ants belong ( Myrmicinae ).
- 4.1 Synonyms
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The workers of the fire ants are usually brownish to reddish. The gaster is slightly darker and the head copper brown to reddish. They are equipped with two to six millimeters in length rather small. The propodeum is rounded at the back and that shows minor irregularities, but bears no sharp thorns or Auseckungen. The antennas consist of ten segments. The foremost two segments are formed to a significant leg. At the front edge of the end plate ( clypeus ) is located centrally projecting a single hair or bristle.
These ants leave on their bite marks in human skin small pustules and a burning pain during penetration. The strong venom of fire ants can cause allergic reactions. There is a risk of anaphylactic shock.
Similar Species
Fire ants are easily confused with representatives of the genus Monomorium, in these, however, lack the club-shaped thickening of the antennas. Even smaller species of the genus Carebara look similar. But you will bear the Clypeuskante paired hair instead of a single centrally protruding hair. Also the propodeum shows at Carebara significant Auseckungen or sharp thorns.
Dissemination
There are over 140 different species and more subspecies. A good 80 percent of them live in the Neotropics and southern Nearctic. In Europe there are only a few species, the taxonomy is also strongly in need of revision. North of the Alps only a single species is known, the yellow thief ant ( Solenopsis fugax ). In the U.S., more species are widespread, but the red fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta ) was introduced in the 1930s from South America, the constantly increasing in prevalence in North America and there native species displaced.
Way of life
Many species are highly polygynous. The colony founding is carried out automatically by a single queen or Pleometrose by a few queens. New colonies may already exist within months of several thousand individuals. The nests are usually created under rocks or in the open field. In some species the nests are directly connected with foreign ant nests. These species live kleptoparasitär and use the foreign food supplies or steal the brood. Fire ant Solenopsis invicta at least the two species and Solenopsis are able to germinata, floods survive by concatenating the individual female and larvae with their bodies at a bivouac raft.
System
Among others, the following types are among the fire ants (selection):
- Solenopsis conjurata
- Yellow thief ant ( Solenopsis fugax )
- Red fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta )
- Solenopsis geminata
- Solenopsis molesta
- Solenopsis richteri
- Solenopsis wagneri
Synonyms
The following names are synonyms for the genus Solenopsis:
- Diagyne Santschi, 1923
- Disolenopsis Kuznetsov, 1953
- Euophthalma Creighton, 1930
- Granisolenopsis Kuznetsov, 1957
- Labauchena Santschi, 1930
- Oedalecerus Creighton, 1930
- Paranamyrma Kuznetsov, 1954
- Synsolenopsis Forel, 1918