Ants, fire

Ants, fire
Originally from S. America. Among the worst insect pests ever to invade the U.S. Red or yellowish ants of small-to-medium size with a severe sting that burns like fire. They normally feed on small insects but, with denser populations, they eat seeds and seedling plants, damage grain and vegetable crops, invade kitchens, attack newly hatched poultry and the young of ground-nesting wild birds. Fire ants can kill newborn domestic and wild animals. Each colony is composed of a queen, winged males and females and 3 kinds of workers. A nest averages about 25,000 workers, but far larger populations are common. Semipermanent nests are large mounds of excavated soil with openings for ventilation. Since nests may number 50-100 (or more) in a heavily infested field, cultivating becomes difficult (or impossible). Fire ants belong to the genus Solenopsis.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • fire ant — fire′ ant n. ent any of several omnivorous ants having a burning sting • Etymology: 1790–1800 …   From formal English to slang

  • fire ant — n. any of a genus (Solenopsis) of ants whose sting causes a burning sensation, esp. a South American species ( S. invicta) that has become a severe pest in the S U.S …   English World dictionary

  • Fire ant — Taxobox image caption = Solenopsis queens and workers image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera subordo = Apocrita familia = Formicidae subfamilia = Myrmicinae tribus = Solenopsidini genus =… …   Wikipedia

  • Ants of medical importance — 222Ants are capable of biting, stinging and spraying irritant chemicals. Most have only a mild effect on humans however a few can cause injury or sometimes even death. Like wasps, ants are capable of stinging many times.The fire ant Solenopsis… …   Wikipedia

  • Fire ants — Originally from S. America. Among the worst insect pests ever to invade the US. Red or yellowish ants of small to medium size with a severe sting that burns like fire. They normally feed on small insects but, with denser populations, they eat… …   Medical dictionary

  • fire ant — any of several omnivorous ants, as the migrant Solenopsis geminata originating in tropical and subtropical South America, having a sting that produces a burning sensation. [1790 1800] * * * Any of a genus (Solenopsis) of insects in the ant family …   Universalium

  • fire ant — noun omnivorous ant of tropical and subtropical America that can inflict a painful sting • Hypernyms: ↑ant, ↑emmet, ↑pismire • Member Holonyms: ↑Solenopsis, ↑genus Solenopsis * * * noun : a stinging ant; …   Useful english dictionary

  • Fire-maned Bowerbird — Taxobox name = Fire maned Bowerbird status = VU | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Passeriformes familia = Ptilonorhynchidae genus = Sericulus species = S. bakeri binomial = Sericulus bakeri… …   Wikipedia

  • fire ant — noun Date: 1796 any of a genus (Solenopsis) of fiercely stinging omnivorous ants; especially imported fire ant …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Fire ant sting — A scourge, these red or yellow ants of small to medium size, originally from South America, have a severe sting that burns like fire. Their sting—like that of bees, yellow jackets, hornets and wasps can trigger allergic reactions varying… …   Medical dictionary

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