Do Fire Ants Have Wings?
WouterWhether you’re a swarming ant enthusiast or not, you may wonder if fire ants have wings. Some species can grow wings and mate, while others only reproduce through budding.
The fire ant is an aggressive species that releases a venom that feels like burning when threatened. Fire ants will bite hard enough to break a human’s skin, and they can survive up to seven years. They are often found in the United States, where they’ve spread faster than other species.
Fire ants are typically black, but they also appear red. All red ant species belong to the Solenopsis genus. The genus is part of the tribe Solenopsidini. This means that the genus is a member of a family that includes wasps and wasp-like ants. The genus was introduced to North America through cargo ships in the port of Mobile, Alabama.
Fire ants are typically found in colonies. Their nests are typically in soil mounds. These mounds regulate the temperature of the colony below. The ants will scavenge for food and then carry it back to the nest. The workers tend the queen and help build the nest.
Female fire ants are winged. They have a stinger on the bottom of their bodies and pinchers on their heads. They can be as small as a quarter inch or as large as an inch. They can be found in colonies with one queen or several.
A new queen fire ant will often lose her wings before digging a nest. She will then lay the first batch of eggs. After she’s mated, she will fly to a new location, where she’ll establish a new colony. She may fly as far as 10 miles from her parents’ nest.
