第 1001 號，共 1 402 號

Red imported fire ant

Solenopsis invicta

名字的由來： Its species name, invicta, is Latin for "invincible" or "unconquered". It is called the fire ant because its sting causes a burning sensation.1

只是會痛會痛，但不會對你造成嚴重傷害。

螞蟻

螫吃：每樣都來一點

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

The red imported fire ant is an ant that comes from South America. It has spread to Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the United States, where it is seen as a serious pest. Its sting burns, and in some people it causes a dangerous allergic reaction.1

分布在

Native to South America. Introduced to Australia, New Zealand, several Asian and Caribbean countries, Europe and the United States.1

南美洲

首頁

It lives in a wide variety of places, including rainforests, deserts, grasslands and disturbed land. It is dominant in altered areas and thrives in urban areas, where it nests alongside roads, buildings and in electrical equipment. Colonies build large soil mounds that have no visible entrances.1

長度

5 mm (0,2 in)3

一般成體大小

最高速度

大約 0,11 km/h（0,07 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats dead mammals, arthropods, insects, seeds and sweet substances such as honeydew from hemipteran insects, with which it has developed relationships. It forages on warm or hot days, though it may stay outside at night.1

Red imported fire ant 的照片 — Red imported fire ant。照片：Judy Gallagher。 CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎麼認出牠

Workers are red and somewhat yellowish, with a brown or black rear section (gaster).1
Males are completely black.1
Workers come in different shapes and sizes.1
Colonies form large soil mounds with no visible entrances, because foraging tunnels lead to places far from the nest.1

毒液力量

螫

毒液從螫針出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

About 95% of its venom is made of water-insoluble piperidine alkaloids called solenopsins, and the rest is a mixture of toxic proteins that can be especially strong in sensitive people. Most stings cause intense burning and swelling, followed by sterile pustules (small fluid-filled bumps) that can last several days. In some people, a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis can occur, with dizziness, chest pain, nausea, severe sweating, low blood pressure, shortness of breath and slurred speech.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

More than 14 million people are stung by these ants each year in the United States, and many are expected to develop allergies to the venom. Between 0.6% and 6.0% of people may suffer anaphylaxis, which can be fatal if left untreated. More than 80 deaths have been recorded from attacks by this ant.1

好消息：醫生有藥（抗毒血清）或治療方法。1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

It uses its venom and chemical signals (pheromones) to defend itself and its nest.1

如果牠螫人

People who only have pain and pustules need no medical attention. People who develop anaphylaxis need emergency treatment with adrenaline. Whole body extract immunotherapy is used to treat people who are allergic and is regarded as highly effective.1
清洗並冷敷螫傷處。
如果傷者呼吸困難、臉部或喉嚨腫脹，或覺得快要昏倒，這就是過敏急症：打緊急電話。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠螫了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

小到可以坐在你的指甲上

Red imported fire ant 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一隻花園蝸牛 大約 0,05 km/h (0,03 mph)

Red imported fire ant 大約 0,11 km/h (0,07 mph)

一隻陸龜 大約 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

值得知道

小知識

When water levels rise, these ants build rafts to float on.1

A single mature colony can contain between 500,000 and 2,000,000 individuals.1

Over 1,800 scientific papers have been published using its name, and it is one of the most studied insects on the planet, rivalling the western honey bee.1

Workers dispose of scraps and dead ants on refuse piles outside the nest, a behaviour called necrophoric behaviour.1

Workers can live for several months, while queens can live for years.1

破解迷思

迷思： The name "fire ant" comes from fire or burning nests.

真相： The name comes from the burning sensation caused by its sting.1

給毒液專家

學名: Solenopsis invicta
類群: 螞蟻
家人: Formicidae2
排序: Hymenoptera
各大洲: 南美洲
寶寶: Winged males and queens mate during a nuptial flight in the warm seasons. A colony can be started by a single queen or by a group of queens, which later compete for dominance once the first workers emerge.1
對人的危險: 2 / 5: 疼痛3