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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Myrmicinae » Solenopsidini » Fire Ants and Thief Ants (Solenopsis)
Photo#354755
Fire Ant Bed - Solenopsis
Copyright © 2009 Jerry Armstrong

Fire Ant Bed - Solenopsis
Winston, Douglas County, Georgia, USA
November 1, 2009
Size: 18 inches high
This is by far the largest Fire Ant bed I have encountered. I measured it at a full 18 inches high. I'm thankful that it was not in my yard. Every year I have several beds in my yard but all are small compared to this one. There was a second bed about 100 feet away that was almost as large as this one.
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Contributed by Jerry Armstrong on 25 November, 2009 - 3:46pm

Bigger ones
I have seen bigger ones in Argentina. When we were kids, we used to kick one and back up very fast to watch them come furiously out of the nest like boiling water. Try it sometime : )
… Beatriz Moisset, 30 November, 2009 - 5:26pm login or register to post comments

 
Possibly another ant
There are also a number of unrelated ant species in Argentina that build up respectable mounds, in some cases, e.g. Atta, Acromyrmex, some Camponotus, they build mounds larger than those of fire ants. They'll pinch you with their mandibles, but none can sting like fire ants.
… James C. Trager, 23 February, 2013 - 3:56pm login or register to post comments

 
Hormigas coloradas
I didn't know insect taxonomy. But the most ferocious ones were some little red ants. They were called hormiguitas coloradas. We always kept a respectable distance from those. No fun if they found their way into your food.
… Beatriz Moisset, 23 February, 2013 - 7:36pm login or register to post comments

 
Kicked
Yep, I do the same thing. Makes good photos of lots and lots of ants. You just have to be very careful how close one gets and be very aware of them spreading outward from the nest. BTW, this one got kicked a few days later.
… Jerry Armstrong, 11 January, 2010 - 5:23pm login or register to post comments

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