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Subfamily MYRMICINAE
Tribe MYRMICINI

Myrmica rubra (Linnaeus)

Myrmica rubra, full face view of a worker (click image to enlarge).
Photo courtesy of http://www.antweb.org/
Myrmica rubra, side view of a worker (click image to enlarge).
Photo courtesy of http://www.antweb.org/

Myrmica rubra, the red or European fire ant, is introduced species from Europe that had become an invasive pest species in New England north into Canada. This introduced species is aggressive and has a painful sting. This species has not yet been found in the Southeast, but it is one that is being monitored for.

Diagnosis: Workers are between 4-5.5 mm in total length, yellowish-brown to reddish-brown in color, the head and alitrunk are heavily sculptured and the gaster is smooth and shiny, the antennae are 12 segmented, a pair of propodeal spines are present, and workers and queens possess a stinger.

Links

AntWeb Images
Discover Life Images

Global Invasive Species Database: Myrmica rubra- http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=1014&fr=1&sts=