Safety note: Stings in defense of nest — keep distance.
The Red Imported Fire Ant is an invasive species from South America that has spread across the southern United States and is notorious for its painful stings, which cause burning welts and can trigger severe allergic reactions. Large mound nests house colonies of hundreds of thousands of workers. They are highly opportunistic omnivores and serious agricultural and ecological pests.
Habitat
Lawns, fields, roadsides, and disturbed open areas in the South
Diet
Adults and larvae: insects, seeds, small vertebrates, and food scraps
How common
Common
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