Fire ant is the name of several species of ants that inflict painful, burning stings.
Five species of fire ants are found in the Southeastern United States. One of these, the red imported fire ant, is a major pest. The mounds are so hard they can damage farm machinery. Hundreds of thousands of fire ants may inhabit one mound, and some areas have more than 200 mounds per acre. If a person or animal disturbs a mound, the ants swarm out to attack the intruder.