About Solenopsis xyloni McCook, 1879
Solenopsis xyloni, commonly called the southern fire ant, is also known by the alternate common names Californian fire ant and cotton ant. It is a stinging fire ant native to the southern regions of the United States. Its behavior is similar to that of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, but its sting is less painful. This ant species has a broad, opportunistic diet: it stores seeds inside its nest and also feeds on honeydew collected from other insects. The southern fire ant shares its geographic range with three other Solenopsis species: the red imported fire ant S. invicta, the golden fire ant S. aurea, and S. amblychila. Among these four species, the southern fire ant has the widest distribution, found across an area stretching from the Carolinas to California. This range also includes Georgia, lowland Tennessee, Arkansas, and southern Kansas.
