Nine To Twenty Individual Fire Ant Queens Started U.S. Fire Ant Population

The current U.S. population of red imported fire ants–which infest millions of acres across the southern states–can be traced back to nine to 20 queens in Mobile, Ala.

That’s according to a genetic study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist D. DeWayne Shoemaker and University of Georgia entomologist Kenneth G. Ross. The results are reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences.

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), native to South America, is a major invasive pest insect and is considered by the World Conservation Unit to be among the top 100 worst invasive alien species.

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Tagged as: Agricultural Research Service, Alabama, Alien Species, Ants, Creepy Crawlies, D. DeWayne Shoemaker, Entomology, Genetics, Invasive Species, Kenneth G. Ross, Populations, Queen Ants, Red Fire Ants, Solenopsis invicta, Species, World Conservation Unit