Atta is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains at least 17 known species.
Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis, which includes over 200 species. Solenopsis are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the names shared by this genus are often used interchangeably to refer to other species of ant, such as the term red ant, mostly because of their similar coloration despite not being in the genus Solenopsis. Both Myrmica rubra and Pogonomyrmex barbatus are common examples of non-Solenopsis ants being termed red ants.
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, which occurs between each moult (ecdysis) until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, changes in the number of body segments or head width. After shedding their exoskeleton (moulting), the juvenile arthropods continue in their life cycle until they either pupate or moult again. The instar period of growth is fixed; however, in some insects, like the salvinia stem-borer moth, the number of instars depends on early larval nutrition. Some arthropods can continue to moult after sexual maturity, but the stages between these subsequent moults are generally not called instars.
Tapinoma melanocephalum is a species of ant that goes by the common name ghost ant. They are recognised by their dark head and pale or translucent legs and gaster (abdomen). This colouring makes this tiny ant seem even smaller.
Atta sexdens is a species of leafcutter ant belonging to the tribe Attini, native to America, from the southern United States (Texas) to northern Argentina. They are absent from Chile. They cut leaves to provide a substrate for the fungus farms which are their principal source of food. Their societies are among the most complex found in social insects. A. sexdens is an ecologically important species, but also an agricultural pest. Other Atta species, such as Atta texana, Atta cephalotes and others, have similar behavior and ecology.
Paratrechina is one of seven ant genera in the Prenolepis genus-group from the subfamily Formicinae. Six species are included in Paratrechina; one of which, the longhorn crazy ant, is a widespread, pantropical pest.
Solenopsis molesta is the best known species of Solenopsisthief ants. They get their names from their habit of nesting close to other ant nests, from which they steal food. They are also called grease ants because they are attracted to grease. Nuptial flight in this species occur from late July through early fall.
The tawny crazy ant or Rasberry crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva, is an ant originating in South America. Like the longhorn crazy ant, this species is called "crazy ant" because of its quick, unpredictable movements. It is sometimes called the "Rasberry crazy ant" in Texas after the exterminator Tom Rasberry, who noticed that the ants were increasing in numbers in 2002. Scientists have reorganised the genera taxonomy within this clade of ants, and now it is identified as Nylanderia fulva.
Nicoletiidae is a family of primitive insects belonging to the order Zygentoma. These insects live primarily underground, under detritus, or in caves. A few species are recorded as commensals inside nests of social insects, such as the species Allotrichotriura saevissima which lives inside fire ant nests. Nicoletiidae don't have eyes as other existing species and they lack pigment. They have medium size, with extended antennae and terminal filaments. Coletinia, a genus of this family, has many characters including a body length that ranges between 10 and 15mm. They may have yellowish pigmentation but most of them are transparent. They have bilayered and very large acrosome, a short nucleus including chromatin being really condensed with tubular invaginations and sperm length and head size classified as short.
Solenopsis saevissima, commonly known in Brazil as formiga de fogo, formiga-vermelha, or formiga-lava-pes, is one of more than 185 species in the genus Solenopsis. It, along with 13 other species, is also a member of the Solenopsis saevissima species group which are popularly known as fire ants.
The longhorn crazy ant, also known as the black crazy ant, is a species of small, dark-coloured insect in the family Formicidae. These ants are commonly called "crazy ants" because instead of following straight lines, they dash around erratically. They have a broad distribution, including much of the tropics and subtropics, and are also found in buildings in more temperate regions, making them one of the most widespread ant species in the world. This species, as well as all others in the ant subfamily Formicinae, cannot sting. However, this species can fire/shoot a formic acid spray from its abdomen when under attack by other insects or attacking other insects. When the longhorn crazy ant bends its abdomen while aiming at an enemy insect, it is typically shooting its hard-to-see acid.
Evania appendigaster, also known as the blue-eyed ensign wasp, is a species of wasp in the family Evaniidae. Its native range is not known, but it likely originated in Asia. Today it occurs throughout the tropics and subtropics and in many temperate regions. As with the rest of its family, the blue-eyed ensign wasp is a parasitoid known for specializing on cockroach eggs.
Myrmelachista is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is found exclusively in the Neotropical realm. Little is known regarding their biology.
Nesticodes is a monotypic genus of comb-footed spiders containing only the red house spider [Nesticodes rufipes ]. It was first described by Allan Frost Archer in 1950, and has a pantropical distribution due to ship and air travel.
Linepithema micans is a small species of ant from the genus Linepithema which was described by Auguste-Henri Forel in 1908. This ant is endemic to southern South America. In Brazil, it is considered a pest of vineyards in acting as the main species associated with the coccid Eurhizococcus brasiliensis. It is still a poorly studied species. Their abundant larvae are round and whitish, almost indistinguishable from the proximate species Linepithema humile, better known as the invasive Argentine ant.
Trypoxylon is a genus of wasps in the family Crabronidae. All Trypoxylon species that have been studied so far are active hunters of spiders, which they paralyse with a venomous sting, to provide as food to their developing larvae. Depending on the species, they will either construct their own nest from mud or find cavities that already exist. These cavities can range from keyholes to nail holes to previously abandoned nests, and are generally sealed with mud to create cells for their larvae.
The toxicology of fire ant venom is relatively well studied. The venom plays a central role in the biology of Red imported fire ants, such as in capturing prey, and in defending itself from competitors, assailants, and diseases. Some 14 million people are stung annually in the United States, suffering reactions that vary from mild discomfort, to pustule formation, swelling, and in rare cases, systemic reactions followed by anaphylactic shock. Fire ant venoms are mainly composed (>95%) of a complex mixture of insoluble alkaloids added to a watery solution of toxic proteins. For the Red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren there are currently 46 described proteins, of which four are well-characterised as potent allergens.
Trypoxylon lactitarse is a species of square-headed wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is found in Central America, North America, and South America. These are fairly common harmless black wasps that build muddy elongate nests on the external walls of houses and low-story apartments. Their characteristic nests resemble pan-flutes in shape, and are provisioned with spiders captured and paralysed by the mother wasp. It lays an egg within each elongate nest cell amongst the invalid spiders, from which a larva will hatch and slowly consume all spiders as food. This species apparently undergoes four larval moults until completing their development as pupae inside a black cocoon.
Camponotus senex is a fairly common species of weaver ant from the New World. They are opportunistic cavity-dwellers, semi-nomadic carpenter ants which are found around grasslands in Central and South America. It is taxonomically believed to be a complex of cryptic species and was previously considered synonymous with Camponotus textor.which once included a distantly-related species of weaver-ant.
Camponotus textor, also known as Brazilian weaver ant, is a species of fairly common tree-dwelling ant native to South and Central America. It is believed to include a number of cryptic species, and previously were considered synonymous to the cavity-dwelling ant Camponotus senex, now thought to be only distantly-related.
