Red Imported Fire Ant

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), or simply RIFA, is one of over 280 species in the widespread genus Solenopsis. Although the red imported fire ant is native to South America, it has become a pest in the southern United States, Australia, Taiwan, Philippines, and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. There are also reports of ant hills in Macau, the former Portuguese enclave that borders the province of Guangdong. RIFA are known to have a strong, painful, and persistent irritating sting that often leaves a pustule on the skin. In the 1930s, colonies were accidentally introduced into the United States through the seaport of Mobile, Alabama. They were first identified in the Mobile area by the then 13 year-old E.O. Wilson. In a similar way, the ants were accidentally introduced into Australia in 2001.