Fire Ants
Solenopsis invicta
This record describes Solenopsis invicta (species). Recorded family: Formicidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
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Terms from the source record, grouped for readability. Broad terms such as size or location are not measurements or a confirmed range.
Wikipedia reference for Solenopsis invicta: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_imported_fire_ant.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Formicoidea
- Family
- Formicidae (Ants)
- Subfamily
- Myrmicinae
- Tribe
- Solenopsidini
- Genus
- Solenopsis (Fire Ants and Thief Ants)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Red imported fire ants cause over $6 billion in damage annually in the U.S. A single colony can contain 100,000-500,000 workers. Their venom causes allergic reactions in up to 50% of people stung, with about 80 deaths per year in the U.S.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Solenopsis invicta. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Fire Ants (10)
Photo credits: (c) Engers, some rights reserved (CC BY). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/404540075. Original downloaded bytes; proportional display only