Ants of medical importance
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ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...
s are capable of biting, stinging, and spraying irritant chemicals. However, only relatively few species can harm humans; among which some can cause significant injury or, in rare cases, death. Like
wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
s, individual ants are capable of stinging multiple times as they do not lose their stingers.


Fire ants

The fire ants are a group of 20 species of New World ants which are reputed after their aggressiveness and painful stings. Four species are considered of relevant medical importance: ''
Solenopsis invicta The red imported fire ant (''Solenopsis invicta''), also known as the fire ant or RIFA, is a species of ant native to South America. A member of the genus '' Solenopsis'' in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it was described by Swiss entomologist Feli ...
'', '' Solenopsis richteri'', ''
Solenopsis geminata ''Solenopsis geminata'' or tropical fire ant is a species of fire ants, described by Fabricius in 1804, in the tribe Solenopsidini; it was originally placed in the ''Atta'' genus. This species has a pan-tropical distribution. ...
'', and ''
Solenopsis saevissima ''Solenopsis saevissima'', commonly known in Brazil as ''formiga de fogo'', ''formiga-vermelha'' (red ant), or ''formiga-lava-pes'', is one of more than 185 species in the genus ''Solenopsis''. It, along with 13 other species, is also a member of ...
''. The Red Imported Fire Ant '' S. invicta'' is the best studied among them, and reputed as the most dangerous species. '' S. invicta'' is expanding in range around the world and thus it is most often involved in medical emergencies. A person typically encounters problems with fire ants by inadvertently stepping onto one of their mounds, which causes the ants to swarm up the person's legs, attacking ''en masse''. The ants quickly respond to alarm
pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
s that are released by the first disturbed ants, causing a swarm followed by aggressive stinging. Fire ant stings are typically accompanied by burning and urticaria, followed by a welt formation. The welts often develop into white pustules that should not be scratched, as to avoid secondary infections. A few individuals are sensitive to the venom, and can, on rare occasions, die of
anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the follow ...
. In a survey of 29,300 physicians in the United States of America (in 1989), reports of 83 fatalities were obtained. Some fire ant attacks on humans confined to beds have also been noted; in some locations, fire ants can be a particular threat in medical facilities since they can have nesting colonies inside human habitations. It has been demonstrated that, whilst the burning sensation and pustule formation is an effect of the sting injecting insoluble venom
alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...
s, the more serious allergic reactions are caused by venom protein allergens.


Other species

Apart from ''Solenopsis invicta'' and '' Solenopsis richteri'', serious allergic reactions are known from ants belonging to 6 different subfamilies (
Formicinae The Formicinae are a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development. Formicines retain some primitive features, such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little ...
,
Myrmeciinae Myrmeciinae is a subfamily of the Formicidae, ants once found worldwide but now restricted to Australia and New Caledonia. This subfamily is one of several ant subfamilies which possess gamergates, female worker ants which are able to mate and ...
,
Ponerinae Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the fun ...
,
Ectatomminae Ectatomminae is a subfamily of ants in the poneromorph subfamilies group containing four extant and three extinct genera in two tribes. The subfamily was created in 2003 when Barry Bolton divided the Ponerinae subfamily into six subfamilies. ...
,
Myrmicinae Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and ...
, and
Pseudomyrmecinae Pseudomyrmecinae is a small subfamily of ants containing only three genera of slender, large-eyed arboreal ants, predominantly tropical or subtropical in distribution. In the course of adapting to arboreal conditions (unlike the predominantly gro ...
) and 10 genera ('' Solenopsis'', ''
Formica ''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the family Formicidae, commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type species of genus ''For ...
'', ''
Myrmecia Myrmecia can refer to: * ''Myrmecia'' (alga), genus of algae associated with lichens * ''Myrmecia'' (ant), genus of ants called bulldog ants * Myrmecia (skin), a kind of deep wart on the human hands or feet See also * '' Copromorpha myrmecias'' ...
'', ''
Tetramorium ''Tetramorium'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae that includes more than 520 species. These ants are also known as pavement ants. Taxonomy and phylogeny ''Tetramorium'' was first described by Gustav Mayr in 1855 in the same publi ...
'', ''
Pogonomyrmex ''Pogonomyrmex'' is a genus of harvester ants, occurring primarily in the deserts of North, Central, and South America, with a single endemic species from Haiti.Cole, A.C. 1968. Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants: a study of the genus in North America. ...
'', ''
Pachycondyla ''Pachycondyla'' is a ponerine genus of ants found in the Neotropics. Distribution ''Pachycondyla'' is currently distributed from southern United States to northern Argentina, but some fossil species (e.g. '' P. eocenica'' and '' P. lutzi'') a ...
'', ''
Odontomachus ''Odontomachus'' is a genus of ants commonly called trap-jaw ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. Overview Commonly known as trap-jaw ants, species in ''Odontomachus'' have a pair of large, straight mandibles capable ...
'', ''
Rhytidoponera ''Rhytidoponera'' is a large genus of ants in the subfamily Ectatomminae. The genus is known from Australia and Melanesia, with New Caledonia as the most eastern limit. Some ''Rhytidoponera'' species have both winged alate Alate (Latin ''āl ...
'', ''
Pseudomyrmex ''Pseudomyrmex'' is a genus of stinging, wasp-like ants in the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae. They are large-eyed, slender ants, found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. Distribution and habitat ''Pseudomyrmex'' is predomi ...
'', and ''
Hypoponera ''Hypoponera'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The genus has a worldwide distribution and is found in all continents except Antarctica. Species *'' Hypoponera abeillei'' (André, 1881) *'' Hypoponera agilis'' (Borgmeier, 1934) ...
''). The
Argentine ant The Argentine ant (''Linepithema humile''), formerly ''Iridomyrmex humilis'', is an ant native to northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. It is an invasive species that has been established in many Mediterranean clim ...
, ''Linepithema humile'' is found in Argentina, Southern Europe, Southern US and California. They are small and are found in human habitations. They often kill other ant species. They have been noted as having the potential to carry pathogens in hospital environments. The
pharaoh ant The pharaoh ant (''Monomorium pharaonis'') is a small (2 mm) yellow or light brown, almost transparent ant notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, especially in hospitals. A cryptogenic species, it has now been introduced to vi ...
, ''Monomorium pharaonis'' is found around the world. It is not known for its sting, but has been involved in respiratory allergies Bulldog ants, from the genus ''Myrmecia'', are native to Australia, with all but one of the ninety or so species found on the continent. Belonging to the ant subfamily
Myrmeciinae Myrmeciinae is a subfamily of the Formicidae, ants once found worldwide but now restricted to Australia and New Caledonia. This subfamily is one of several ant subfamilies which possess gamergates, female worker ants which are able to mate and ...
, they are among the most primitive extant ants in the world. This species is known to cause some fatalities in sensitive humans.
Bullet ant A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and c ...
s, from the genus ''Paraponera'', are found from
Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
southward to the
Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...
. They are and close relatives of the genus ''
Dinoponera ''Dinoponera'' is a strictly South American genus of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae, commonly called tocandiras or giant Amazonian ants. These ants are generally less well known than ''Paraponera clavata'', the bullet ant, yet ''Dinoponera'' f ...
'', which are New World ponerines known for their painful stings.
Driver ant ''Dorylus'', also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is a large genus of army ants found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to southern Africa and tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swah ...
s, from the genus ''
Dorylus ''Dorylus'', also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is a large genus of army ants found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to southern Africa and tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swah ...
'', are found in the Old World, especially West Africa and the
Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...
. Unlike the army ants of the New World, Old World army ants have a functional sting but rarely use it, preferring their razor-sharp, falcate mandibles for defense instead. ''
Dorylus ''Dorylus'', also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is a large genus of army ants found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to southern Africa and tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swah ...
'' spp. colonies also reach larger sizes than ''
Eciton ''Eciton'' is a New World army ant genus that contains the most familiar species of army ants. The most predominant and well-known species is '' Eciton burchellii'', which is also more commonly known as the army ant and is considered the type spe ...
''. The '' Pogonomyrmex maricopa'', found in Western US, are bright red myrmicine ants whose venom is the most potent of any ant species.


See also

*
Killer bee The Africanized bee, also known as the Africanized honey bee and known colloquially as the "killer bee", is a hybrid of the western honey bee (''Apis mellifera''), produced originally by crossbreeding of the East African lowland honey bee (''A ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ants Of Medical Importance Ants