fire ant

American  

noun

1. any of several omnivorous ants, as the migrant Solenopsis geminata originating in tropical and subtropical South America, having a sting that produces a burning sensation.

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fire ant British  

noun

1. any mound-building predatory ant of the genus Solenopsis , of tropical and subtropical America, that can inflict a painful sting

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Etymology

Origin of fire ant

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

The process resembles natural strategies seen in diving bell spiders, which carry air bubbles underwater, and in fire ants, which form floating rafts using their water-resistant bodies.

From Science Daily

Santa Barbara County has spent a total of $15,000 eradicating local populations of red imported fire ants to prevent the invasive species from spreading.

From Los Angeles Times

Inexperienced pest management workers might try to pour liquid insecticide on red imported fire ant nests, Taravati said, but it’s not so simple.

From Los Angeles Times

When flooding hits a region where fire ants live, their survival response is to latch together to form a buoyant "raft" that floats and keeps the colony united.

From Science Daily

Acephate and malathion belong to a class of chemicals called organophosphates, which U.S. farmers have used for decades because they efficiently kill aphids, fire ants and other pests.

From Salon