The black imported fire ant (''Solenopsis richteri''), or simply BIFA, is a species of
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 ...
in the genus ''
Solenopsis'' (
fire ant
Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...
s). It was long thought to either be a
subspecies or a color variation of ''Solenopsis invicta'' (the
red imported fire ant
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 Fel ...
, or simply RIFA), but is now recognized as its own species with a demonstratively different range and living habits. BIFA seem to be more tolerant of cold and a less dominant species than RIFA. Due to the BIFA higher body content of water than the RIFA conclusions demonstrate the certain factor plays a role in their differences of living regions.
The species is native to South America, but has been introduced to North America. In the United States, the official assessment is that BIFA are limited to extreme northeastern Mississippi, northwestern Alabama and a few southern counties in Tennessee, though this may reflect underestimation of their range. As of April 2013 their range has been found as far north as the tidewater area of Virginia, and as of July 2016 they have been reported near coastal South Carolina. Since the 2013 records, this species has been collected in NE Arkansas in several Craighead County localities. These collections are presumably the result of recent landscaping of new construction projects.
All stings of imported fire ants will produce a sterile pustule that is helpful in distinguishing them from the stings or bites of other insects. Pustules are surrounded by reddened swelling (wheal) with the redness (erythema) extending beyond (flare). The extent of reaction to imported fire ant stings is variable depending on the quantity of allergic (IgE) antibodies an individual has already formed. There may also be differences in the venom from the two species that result in more pronounced wheal and flare formation after stings from BIFA.
Hoffman DR. Reactions to less common species of fire ants. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997 Nov;100(5):679-83.
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See also
* '' Kneallhazia solenopsae''
References
External links
*
Solenopsis (ant)
Insects described in 1972
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