Red Fire Ant: Dangerous Tropical Barbarian
Among harmless ants there are dangerous species. Red fire ant or Red imported fire ant is one of these. Its bite resembles a burn from a flame, hence the telling name. This ant helps a strong sting and toxic poison.
Content
What red ants look like: photo
Description of red ants
Name: Red fire ant
Latin: Solenopsis invictaClass: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Hymenoptera - Hymenoptera
Family: Ants - Formicidae
 | Habitats: | inhabitants of South America |
 | Dangerous for: | small insects, animals, people |
 | Means of destruction: | bulk delete only |
Fire ants.
The sizes of insidious insects are small. The length varies between 2-6 mm. This is influenced by external living conditions. One anthill can consist of small and large individuals. Despite their size, they do well together.
The body consists of the head, chest, belly. The color can be from brown to black-red. There are individuals scarlet and ruby. The belly is usually darker. Each individual has 3 pairs of developed and strong legs. Poison helps to catch victims and protect their possessions.
Habitat
Red ants are inhabitants of South America. Huge populations can be found throughout the continent. Brazil is considered the birthplace of parasites. They also settled in North America, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan.
Red fire ant diet
Insects eat plant and animal food.
| From the green | They prefer shoots and young stems of shrubs and plants. |
| Liquid food | Liquid food is preferred for these species. They drink pad and dew. |
| animal food | Insects, larvae, caterpillars, small mammals and amphibians are also included in their diet. A common species even attacks weakened animals. |
| Danger to humans | Large colonies can even attack humans. Thousands of bites at the same time deliver at least pain. |
| food in houses | In private homes, they eat whatever food they can get their hands on. They easily gnaw through cardboard, cellophane and even insulating materials. |
Red ant lifestyle
The ant is ready to bite.
Representatives of this family tend to build an anthill. In it they produce their offspring. The colony has its own structure of working individuals, those who bear offspring, brood. The uterus, she is the queen, is larger than the others, they multiply very quickly.
Ants hunt in large groups. Insects bite the skin with their mouthparts, introducing a stinger. At rest, the sting is hidden in the belly. A large dose of poison enters the victim's body. Sometimes animals die after a couple of hours. A small amount of poison is not fatal, but causes terrible pain.
Life cycle
Researchers have not yet fully understood the method of reproduction.
This species has cloning. Female and male individuals produce a genetic copy of themselves. As a result of mating, only working individuals are obtained, which cannot have offspring.
Red ants can hardly get along with representatives of other species. But there were cases when they interbred with individuals from another species, forming offspring.
Each anthill has several queens. In this regard, the labor force is always present. After laying eggs, larvae hatch after 7 days. Usually their diameter does not exceed 0,5 mm. The larvae are formed within 2 weeks.
The life expectancy of the uterus is about 3-4 years. During this period, it produces about 500000 individuals. Ants live longer in warmer climates. Workers and males live from a few days to 2 years.
Harm from red fire ants
The fire ant is very dangerous to people and animals. The toxicity of the poison provokes the appearance of severe pain, comparable to thermal burns.
Insects are able to attack people themselves in case of a threat to the anthill. When approaching it, a huge number of individuals climb onto the body and bite. During the year, there are more than 30 deaths.
When entering the house
When fire ants enter a home, they quickly become people's neighbors. They cause quite a lot of damage - they spread dirt, infections, attack people and even spoil food supplies.
How to deal with red fire ants
Residents of South America in some cases abandon their homes in order not to become victims of parasites.
Fire ants in Russia
The tropical barbarian is extremely rare on the territory of the Russian Federation, since the climate does not suit him. Insects cannot survive in severe frosts. However, in Moscow, these individuals were met by people. Ants settled near people in warm rooms. Most likely, these are travelers who accidentally came from South or North America with some things they brought.
Do not confuse the red ants living in the Russian Federation with dangerous insects. Red ants do not do so much harm.
Conclusion
Fire red ants are very dangerous to humans. Their bites can lead to death. However, insidious predators can also be beneficial. They destroy parasites that feed on grains and legumes.
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