what is the toxin in fire ants?

Answer 1

A good majority of "stinging ants" bite the victim and then spray formic acid on the wound. This is not so with fire ants. They are unique in the fact that they inject a toxin directly into their victims which contains mostly piperidine alkaloids. Here are some sites you can check out if you want more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10665803&dopt=Abstract, http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1108838 http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/chemistry/mc/pow/chapter11.shtml

Answer 2

The fire ant is an aggressive ant. It will attack anything, no matter what its size, if it disturbs the mound or their feeding area. The attacks are carried out by many ants, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or more. The classic attack occurs when the fire ant mound is disturbed by accident. The unaware victim won't even notice the attack...
until many ants have positioned themselves on the victims skin. Then... All at once the ants begin to bite with their powerful jaws, arching their backs and stabbing the victim with a stinger located in its rear abdomen.
Each ant can sting many times and each sting releases a toxin that is responsible for a burning pain, hence their name "fire ant". A few stings are really not much of a problem, as not enough toxin is released to really do any real harm. But... hundreds of ants, each stinging 8 or 9 times can be painful enough to make any victim look from then on...
"where thy foot lands"!!! After being stung, the wound forms a red welt, about twice the size of a normal freckle. The next day, a white pustule (blister) forms. The most common symptom, other than the burning pain when the sting happens, is a mild itch. The itch usually lasts no more than a few days. If the pustule is popped or broken open, an infection and scaring can occur. It is best to just leave it alone and let nature do its work. Most of the time, no real damage is done other than a few new four-letter words learned and... a renewed and long lasting respect for these midget sized warriors.






Though most people refer to fire ant “bites” in reality the part that causes problems is the sting. The
stinger is like a hypodermic needle that delivers the venom below the skin. The stingers are used for
both defense and subduing prey.
The toxin is an alkaloid compound that acts as a sterilent. The venom also contains 1 –2% protein.
It is these proteins that cause the allergic reaction many people experience.
When getting ready to sting the fire ant will grab the victim with its mandibles, or jaws, and place the
stinger precisely between the mandible and into the victim. At the same time, the ant releases an
alarm pheromone, which is simply a chemical that tells the other ants to sting as well. Thus the
perception that the entire colony gets on you and they all sting at the same time is true.
The venom is also used as a disinfectant to clean the colony and brood, thus reducing disease
organisms infecting the colony.

Answer 3

Fire Ant Toxin

Answer 4

Formic or Methanoic Acid HCOOH

Answer 5

Formic Acid...it is a weak organic acid.

Answer 6

I think it's formic acid

Answer 7

the answer seems to be formic acid

Answer 8

It's a necrotizing alkaloid.

Answer 9

There are many species of fire ants in the United States, but the most serious U. S. fire ant pests are four in the genus Solenopsis: the Red Imported Fire Ant, the Black Imported Fire Ant, the Southern Fire Ant, and the native fire ant. Distinguishing between imported and native species of fire ant is difficult, even for experts. Identification usually requires 40 or more randomly collected worker ants for study. The following sections briefly discuss the four fire ants of major concern in the U. S. The Little Fire Ant is described later in the chapter.

Red Imported Fire Ant, Subfamily - Mymicinae

Introduced from western Brazil (Argentina or Paraguay), this fire ant species quickly and usually becomes the number one fire ant pest wherever it occurs. The main reason for this is when it was introduced into the U. S. about 60 years ago its natural enemies were left behind in South America. Since 1958, over 7,100 compounds have been evaluated for delayed toxicity against just this ant by the USDA Agricultural Research Service. The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta - (Buren), is associated with disturbed habitats, mostly created by humans, and is abundant in old fields, pastures, lawns, roadsides and many other open sunny areas. It often inhabits fields used for agricultural purposes where its large above-ground mounds create problems in planting and harvesting crops. John Morrison, Jr., et al, 1997, noted that Red Imported Ants will feed on wheat, corn and sorgham seed and to some extent on dry cotton and soybean seeds under laboratory conditions. In areas where grass is periodically cut, mounds are flush with the ground and are hard to see. This fire ant species is rarely found in mature forests and other areas with heavy shade, unless part of the area has been disturbed or opened by fire or storms. Solenopsis invicta has the most toxic venom of all U. S. fire ants.

The Red Imported Fire Ant builds mounds that are, on average, 10” - 24" in diameter and 18" high. But larger fire ant mounds are not uncommon. They also may extend 6' underground. They also build soil tubes on foundations of buildings. The primary function of mounds, beyond that of the simple ground nests of other ants, is microclimate regulation - controlling the temperature and humidity. The ants can maintain a temperature inside the mound much higher than that outside, allowing them to continue colony growth even during cool weather. They have a filtering system that admits only liquids into their digestive systems that even removes bacteria (e.g. Bacillus thurmingiensis) - so feed them sugar water with 1% boric acid or .5% Disodium Octoborate Tetrahydrate for 8 weeks. Originally it was incorrectly identified as Solenopsis saevissima richteri (Forel).

The fire ant mounds are symmetrical piles of excavated soil, rich in organic materials, laced with interconnected galleries and chambers. The soil below ground also contains galleries and chambers. During foraging periods only a small percentage of ants may be inside the mound; the rest are out gathering food. That is why there are times of the day or night that flooding or drenching mounds are more effective.

A newly mated queen lays about a dozen eggs. When they hatch 7 to 10 days later, the larvae are fed by the queen. Later on, a queen fed by worker ants can lay up to 800 eggs per day. Larvae develop 6 to 10 days and then pupate. Adults emerge in 9 to 15 days. The average colony contains 100,000 to 500,000 workers and up to several hundred winged forms and queens. Queen ants can live 7 years or more, while worker ants generally live about 5 weeks, although they can survive much longer.

A newly established fire ant mound or nest rapidly produces young workers, and winged reproductives are produced for most of the year (8-10 months), much longer than the native species. Red imported fire ants quickly spread through a suitable habitat, and the species is now found throughout most of the southeastern United States and west into Texas and California (over 300,000,000 acres in the U.S.A.). They can and quickly do latch onto your flesh with barbed mandibles and sting repeatedly, pivoting in tiny circles until you, the victim can repel them or dies. The venom burns like a hot match and causes tiny blisters or white pustules that persist for days if left untreated or for weeks if scratched or infected and may leave permanent scars. Red imported fire ants have two types of colonies. Single-queen (monogyne form): only one queen per colony or mound; slightly larger workers; members of colonies are territorial; mound densities usually 20 - 80 mounds (up to 150 mounds) per acre; up to 7 million ants per acre. Multiple-queen (polygyne form): dozens of queens per colony; smaller average worker ants; colonies are interconnected; mound densities of 100 to 1000+ per acre; up to 40 million ants per acre. Bait with raw fish, canned sausage, maple syrup (treated with boric acid or sodium borate 2% - 5%) or a combination of vitamin C and baking soda.

Black Imported Fire Ant

The Black Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis richteri (Forel), is very similar to the Red Imported Fire Ant. It is currently limited to a small area of northern Mississippi and Alabama. It may be displaced from established habitats by the Red Fire Ant. The Black Fire Ants come here from Argentina and/or Uruguay.

Scientists have long thought that the Black and Red Fire Ants were two distinct species. Recently it has been discovered that hybrids of these ants produce viable offspring, and some scientists now wonder whether they are simply two races of the same species, varying only in color and perhaps behavior and/or have created hybrids.

Southern (California) Fire Ant

The Southern Fire Ant, Solenopsis xyloni, (McCook) is a native species that occurs from North Carolina south to northern Florida, along the Gulf Coast and west to California. Colonies may be observed as mounds or more commonly may be constructed under the cover of stones, boards, and other objects or at the base of plants. These ants also nest in wood or the masonry of houses, especially around heat sources such as fireplaces. Nests often consist of loose soil with many craters scattered over 2 to 4 square feet. In dry areas nests may be along streams, arroyos, and other shaded locations where soil moisture is high. Southern fire ants usually swarm in late spring or summer.

Fire Ant (Tropical or Native fire ant)

The fire ant, Solenopsis geminata (Fabricus), is a native species sometimes called the Tropical Fire Ant. This ant ranges from South Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. Very similar to the Southern Fire Ant, this native fire ant usually nests in mounds constructed around clumps of vegetation, but may also nest under objects or in rotting wood.

Answer 10

I don't know but it burns!!!!!!!!!!!!!