Fire Ant Venom
Do fire ants sting or bite? Turns out, it’s both—but the “fire” comes from the potent venom they inject with their stinger. This revealing animation illustrates the anatomy, chemistry, and behaviors of the Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta). Naturally, there’s an ant death metal band, too.
“RIFA Madness”
1 video, 8:29
The stingers of fire ants evolved from an egg-laying mechanism—the ovipositor—into a venom-injecting syringe perfect for protecting the colony from giant, clumsy vertebrates.