the.com/fireant
a stinging socialist that builds rafts from its own drowning relatives
means A small reddish ant of the genus Solenopsis, infamous for its aggressive swarming and burning, venomous sting.
from A plain English compound of "fire" and "ant," the "fire" naming the searing, blister-raising sensation of the sting rather than any literal flame. "Ant" descends from Old English "æmete," a cousin of the German "Ameise," which also gave us the older word "emmet." The name spread with the insects themselves: the most notorious species are New World natives, and the imported red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta — the species name fittingly means "unconquered") rode cargo ships from South America into the southern United States in the early 20th century, carrying its burning reputation along with it.
- flood survival
- Colonies link legs into living rafts for weeks
- sting chemistry
- Venom is alkaloid, not acid like most stings
- super organism
- Queens can live up to seven years
- global invader
- Spread worldwide from a single South American beachhead
- electric appetite
- Drawn to wiring, they short out traffic lights
red imported fire ant — solenopsis invicta, invasive species that costs us agriculture $6.7 billion annually since 1930s
native fire ant — solenopsis geminata, found across southern united states, stings cause burning sensation