Southern fire ant
{{Short description|Species of ant}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Solenopsis xyloni 246024100.jpg
| genus = Solenopsis (ant)
| species = xyloni
| authority = McCook, 1879
}}
The southern fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni), also known as the Californian fire ant or cotton ant,{{rp|89}} is a stinging fire ant native to southern parts of the United States.{{cite web |url=http://idtools.org/id/citrus/pests/factsheet.php?name=Southern+fire+ant |title=Fact Sheet: Southern fire ant |last=J.A. |first=Weeks |author2=Amanda C. Hodges |author3=Norman C. Leppla |publisher=Identification Technology Program |website=Citrus Pests |access-date=21 September 2016}}{{cite book
|last=Coleman
|authorlink=
|author2=David C. Coleman |author3=Paul F. Hendrix
|title=Invertebrates as Webmasters in Ecosystems
|publisher=CABI Publishing
|year=2000
|location=
|pages=222
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IhIKUvgXK6MC&q=Southern+fire+ant,+Solenopsis+xyloni&pg=PA222
|doi=
|isbn=0-85199-394-X }}{{cite book
|last=Higenkamp
|first=Kathryn
|access-date=21 September 2016
|authorlink=
|title=Environmental Health: Ecological Perspectives
|publisher=Jones and Bartlett Publishers
|year=2006
|location=United States
|page=118
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DuCNxKlDLogC&q=%22southern+fire+ant%22&pg=PA118
|doi=
|isbn=9780763723774}} Its behaviour is similar to the red imported fire ant (S. invicta), although its sting is less painful. It has a broad and opportunistic diet, and will store seeds in its nest and eat honeydew collected from other insects.{{rp|91}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/51035/29.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-09-21 |archive-date=2018-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204163228/https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/51035/29.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://www.thepestadvice.com/a-fire-ants-life-cycle/ |title=Fire Ant Lifecycle |date=4 October 2019 }} Monday, 16 December 2019
The southern fire ant shares its range with the red imported fire ant (S. invicta), the golden fire ant (S. aurea) and S. amblychila. The southern fire ant has the widest distribution of these,{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} occurring from the Carolinas to California, including Georgia, lowland Tennessee, Arkansas, and southern Kansas.{{cite book
|last=Taber
|first=Stephen
|authorlink=
|title=Fire Ants
|publisher=Texas A&M University Press
|access-date=21 September 2016
|year=2000
|location=United States
|page=[https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_p0d0/page/88 88]
|url=https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_p0d0
|url-access=registration
|doi=
|isbn=9781603447119}}