Some of the most basic information about fire ants
Fire ant is the name that is given in common to a number of ant species which belong to the genus solenopsis. There are over 200 species of fire ants all around the world. The ants that belong to the genus solenopsis are called as the stinging ants because of their behavior. They sting people when they come into contact with one. Sometimes, these ants are also called as the red ants because of the color they posses. They are in light brown color which resembles red when seen in light. Many types of ants are named on the basis of their characteristics such as tropical fire ants. The ant has got its name because of the region that they are found in is tropical. The names of these ants differ in each country. Weaver ants are one of the colloquial names that are given to the ants.
Fire ants and their appearance
Just like all the insects that are mature, the body of a fire ant can be divided into three parts. They are the head, thorax and abdomen. They have a pair of antennae and three pairs of legs. The invasive species of fire ants that are commonly seen in the United States can easily be differentiated from the other types which are present locally. These ants have a copper brown head which is connected to an abdomen that is darker in color. The worker ants in the group can be distinguished by their blackish or reddish color. In a nest that has been established, all the above mentioned types of ants will be present during the same time.
There are a number of ants that bite very vigorously causing severe pain to humans. In the 200 types of fire ants, most of the species are found to be non invasive and do not bother humans at all. Whereas, red imported fire ant is a type of ant that is invasive in nature and is found in many regions of the world especially in China, US, Taiwan and Australia. These ants are known to have travelled to these places because of shipping crates. A group of fire ants have a single queen and a number of males. These male ants are also known as drones. The queen is the single reproductive female that is present in a colony. These queen ants are usually the largest among the group. The primary function of any queen in a colony of fire ants is reproduction and they can live up to 7 years of time. The drones have a short life span and they die once the mating is over. The above mentioned are some of the basic information about fire ant