Black Imported Fire Ant vs Asian Giant Hornet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Imported Fire Ant Asian Giant Hornet
Scientific Name Solenopsis richteri Vespa mandarinia
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Vespidae
Size 2-6 mm 45-55 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Seed Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions South America, Southeastern United States Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Black Imported Fire Ant

A dark-colored fire ant native to South America that has established populations in the southeastern United States. They build large earthen mounds in open areas.

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Did You Know?

They frequently hybridize with the red imported fire ant in overlapping ranges, producing hybrid populations.

Asian Giant Hornet

The worlds largest hornet. A single colony can kill an entire hive of 30,000 honey bees in just a few hours. Their venom destroys red blood cells and can cause organ failure.

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Did You Know?

Asian giant hornets can decapitate 40 honey bees per minute. Japanese honey bees defend themselves by swarming a hornet and vibrating to raise temperature to 47°C — killing it with heat.