Stats

Lifespan: Up to 7 yrs
Size: Tiny
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Cathemeral
Social: Colony
Biome: Tropical grassland
Range: South America
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Venom
Status: Common

About

A highly invasive ant native to South America, the red imported fire ant builds mound nests in open ground and defends them aggressively with a venomous sting that delivers burning solenopsin alkaloids. Workers can interlock their bodies to form waterproof living rafts, allowing entire colonies to float and survive floods for days.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Genus: Solenopsis
Species: Solenopsis invicta