Solenopsis - Fire Ants - Polygyny
The Tropical Fire Ant (TFA), Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) 1804, is native to South and Central America and has spread to many other parts of the world have become serious pests.
They build conspicuous earthen mounds, which are aggressively defended by the painful stinging of often great numbers of workers. They have a high reproductive rate, a high population density, an efficient dispersal behaviour, and wide geographical distribution.
These ants inhabit disturbed environments, often in areas of human habitat modification, and so, people are often forced to alter outdoor activities where fire ants are present. Fire ants can sting repeatedly. Symptoms of a fire ant sting include burning and itching. The ant injects venom containing an oily alkaloid called Solenopsin that is toxic to cells. It causes a white pustule to form in a day or two. Although the sting is not usually life threatening, they are easily infected and may leave permanent scars.
This nuisance will generally lower the tolerance of their presence among humans.
Yellow Crazy Ants - Care Guide and Ecology
Anoplolepis gracilipes is commonly known by one of two names, the first and most common is the Yellow Crazy Ant and second but more scientifically correct is the Slender Leg Ant. The name crazy ant arises from its characteristic behavior that is to run erratically in rapid movements when disturbed, and the name slender leg comes from their long and thin stalky legs.
Harpegnathos Jumping Ants - Care Guide and Ecology
Harpegnathos, from the Greek word harpe, which refers to a curved weapon such as a sickle, and gnathos which refers to jaw. Hence the sickle jaw or curve blade jaw ant. But we normally call them Jumping Ants.
Jumping Ants belongs to the Ponerinae subfamily, which is notable for being different from other subfamilies of ants because they are considered to be more primitive, meaning they have more common characteristics with their wasp ancestors. They are also known for combining simple social organization with a high diversity of morphological and behavioral trait
Polyrhachis - The Spiny Ants
Spiny ants belong to the Formicinae sub-family and the Polyrhachis genus. They are the far away cousins of our worldwide beloved Carpenter Ants.
Polyrhachis is a genus of formicine ants found in the Old World with over 600 species. The genus is yet to be fully understood and described because it is one of the most ecologically diverse ant genera in the world. It contains so many varied species which span so many different types of habitats including mangrove, soil and tree-dwellers.
They can be easily be identified due to the big spikes most workers showcase as a defensive mechanism against predators.