Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant.

Orlando, Florida, USA
Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant.

Orlando, Florida, USA
Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant, with eggs & young larvae in the nest. This photograph was taken in the native range of this common pest ant.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Wasmannia auropunctata

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Wasmannia auropunctata workers feeding on a cookie crumb set out as bait by researchers in Buenos Aires.  Shortbread cookies make good baits for myrmicine ants.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant, is one of the world's worst pest ants.

Gamboa, Panama
Friend or foe?  Two Wasmannia auropunctata meet on a foraging trail and briefly assess each other. Ants from different colonies will attack each other, but these two are nestmates and let each other pass.

Gamboa, Panama
Wasmannia auropunctata

Gamboa, Panama
Queen ants are the fertile females in the nest specialized for reproduction.  In some ant species, such as the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata, queens are much larger than the sterile workers.

Gamboa, Panama
Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant, with eggs & young larvae in the nest. This photograph was taken in the native range of this common pest ant.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant, with eggs & young larvae in the nest. This photograph was taken in the native range of this common pest ant.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Wasmannia auropunctata, the little fire ant, with eggs & young larvae in the nest. This photograph was taken in the native range of this common pest ant.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013