Black imported fire ant

Habitat

• Colonies build conical-shaped nests up to 45cm tall in any soil type
• A preference for open, sunny areas, associated with disturbance, such as parks, roadsides and cultivated fields
• Nests tend to be found near rotting logs or tree stumps
• Attracted to electrical fields, they can be found inhabiting outdoor electrical equipment

Description

• Worker ants are wingless, dark reddish-brown to mostly black in colour
• Three different worker morphs ranging from 1-5.5mm in length
• Reproductive females are winged, and reddish brown
• Reproductive males are black and have a smaller head than females
• Mated reproductive females lose their wings, becoming queens, around 9mm in length
• Mound disturbance results in a rapid defence response by the worker ants, which bite and sting
• It may be displaced from established habitats by S. invicta, the red imported fire ant
• It can mate with S. invicta producing fertile offspring
• During flooding, colonies form a floating raft until reaching land and establishing a new mound

Origin and Worldwide Distribution

• Native to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay
• It has been introduced to the USA in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee

Potential or Known Impacts

• They infest and damage electrical equipment, causing potential harm to humans
• The removal of soil by burrowing underneath asphalt has caused roads to collapse
• They damage commercially important crops by feeding directly on the plants
• The nest mounds interfere with farming and mowing
• Known to damage tree bark, providing an entry for disease causing organisms
• They sting, causing harm to humans and other animals

Is it found in Northern Ireland?

• It is not currently present in Northern Ireland

How could it get here?

• Introductions are a result of the accidental human transport of soil, potted plants and other materials containing colonies or mated queens
• Once introduced, mated females can disperse to new areas using wind and air currents
• Colonies can be dispersed by floodwater
• The illegal import, breeding, growth, release, selling and transport is the most likely reason for introduction today

Management/Methods for Prevention

• Prevention via enforcing the IAS (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) ensuring that S. richteri is not introduced to Northern Ireland
• Reporting any sightings so that Rapid Response can be instigated
• If Rapid Response is not successful, management can include physical and chemical control

Current Legislative Position (Listed on 02 August 2022)

• This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.

Species Related Files:

RA_Solenopsis_richteri_Black_imported_fire_ant