Red imported fire ant
Scientific Name:
Solenopsis invicta
How to identify Red Imported Fire Ants:
Red imported fire ant (RIFA) (Solenopsis invicta) is one of the worst invasive species to reach Australia’s shores, and continues to be the target of a national cost-shared eradication programs. Red important fire ants can be identified by the following features:
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Body is a reddish colour with shiny dark brown abdomen with stinger
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Large eyes and 3 teeth at the front of the head
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Petiole with 2 nodes, no spines on thorax
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10 segmented antennae with 2 segmented club
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Extremely aggressive
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Workers are different sizes ranging from 2-5mm in length
