Red Imported Fire Ant
Scientific Name: Solenopsis invicta
Order & Family: Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae
Size: Workers range from 1/8 to 1/4 inch (2 to 6 mm) in length.
Natural Habitat
Open areas like lawns, pastures, and roadsides; often forms floating rafts on water during floods.
Diet & Feeding
Omnivorous; they eat plant matter, seeds, and animal matter including insects and small vertebrates.
Behavior Patterns
Aggressive and eusocial; they build large mounds and are known for their ability to link bodies to form floating rafts to survive flooding.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include painful stings that can cause allergic reactions in humans; they are an invasive species that disrupts local ecosystems but can occasionally control other pests.
Identified on: 5/29/2026