Editing Red imported fire ant (section)

===Phylogeny===
The red imported fire ant is a member of the ''S. saevissima'' species-group. Members can be distinguished by their two-jointed clubs at the end of the funiculus in workers and queens, and the second and third segments of the funiculus are twice as long and broad in larger workers. [[Polymorphism (biology)|Polymorphism]] occurs in all species and the [[Mandible (insect mouthpart)|mandible]]s bear four teeth.<ref name="Buren_1972"/> The following [[cladogram]] shows the position of the red imported fire ant among other members of the ''S. saevissima'' species-group:{{refn|Although ''S. geminata'' appears in the cladogram, it is not a member of the species-group. It is only included to serve as an "attachment point"; to be precise, it is showing where the cladogram under investigation connects with the [[Tree of life (biology)|tree of life]].{{sfn|Tschinkel|2006|p=14}}|group = lower-alpha}}{{sfn|Tschinkel|2006|p=14}}

{{clade| style=font-size:100%; line-height:100%
|label1=''[[Fire ant|Solenopsis]]''
|1={{clade
 |1=''[[Solenopsis geminata]]''
 |2={{clade
  |1=''[[Solenopsis daguerrei]]''
  |2={{clade
   |1={{clade
    |1=''[[Solenopsis quinquecupsis]]''
    |2=''[[Solenopsis macdonaghi]]'' }}
   |2={{clade
    |1=''[[Solenopsis megergates]]''
    |2={{clade
     |1='''''Solenopsis invicta'''''
     |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Solenopsis richteri]]''
      |2={{clade
       |1=''[[Solenopsis interrupta]]''
       |2={{clade
        |1=''[[Solenopsis altipunctata]]''
        |2=''[[Solenopsis weyrauchi]]'' }}
       |3={{clade
        |1=''[[Solenopsis saevissima]]''
        |2=''[[Solenopsis pythia]]''
        |3={{clade
         |1=''[[Solenopsis electra]]''
         |2=''[[Solenopsis pusillignis]]'' }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

Phenotypic and genetic data suggest that the red imported fire ant and the [[black imported fire ant]] (''Solenopsis richteri'') differ from each other, but they do share a close genetic relationship.<ref name="Ross_et_al_1987">{{cite journal|last1=Ross|first1=K.G.|last2=Meer|first2=R.K.V.|last3=Fletcher|first3=D.J.C.|last4=Vargo|first4=E.L.|title=Biochemical phenotypic and genetic studies of two introduced fire ants and their hybrid (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_evolution_1987-03_41_2/page/280|journal=Evolution|date=1987|volume=41|issue=2|pages=280–293|doi=10.2307/2409138|jstor=2409138|pmid=28568766}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ross|first1=K.G.|last2=Vargo|first2=E.L.|last3=Fletcher|first3=David J.C.|title=Comparative biochemical genetics of three fire ant species in North America, with special reference to the two social forms of ''Solenopsis invicta'' (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_evolution_1987-09_41_5/page/979|journal=Evolution|date=1987|volume=41|issue=5|pages=979–990|doi=10.2307/2409186|pmid=28563420|jstor=2409186}}</ref>{{sfn|Tschinkel|2006|p=15–16}}<ref name="Pitts_et_al_2005">{{cite journal|last1=Pitts|first1=J.P.|last2=McHugh|first2=J.V.|last3=Ross|first3=K.G.|title=Cladistic analysis of the fire ants of the ''Solenopsis saevissima'' species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)|journal=Zoologica Scripta|date=2005|volume=34|issue=5|pages=493–505|doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.2005.00203.x|s2cid=85792334}}</ref> [[Hybrid (biology)|Hybridisation]] between the two ants occurs in areas where they make contact, with the hybrid zone located in Mississippi. Such hybridisation has resulted from secondary contact between these two ants several decades ago{{when|date=May 2024}}, when they first encountered each other in southern [[Alabama]].<ref name="Ross_et_al_1987"/>{{sfn|Tschinkel|2006|p=503}} Based on [[mitochondrial DNA]], examined [[haplotype]]s do not form a [[Monophyly|monophyletic]] [[clade]]. Some of the examined haplotypes form a closer relationship to ''[[Solenopsis megergates|S. megergates]]'', ''S. quinquecuspis'' and ''S. richteri'' than they do with other ''S. invicta'' haplotypes. The occurrence of a possible [[Paraphyly|paraphyletic]] grouping suggests that the red imported fire ant and ''S. quinquecuspis'' are possible cryptic species groups composed of several species that cannot be distinguished morphologically.<ref name="Pitts_et_al_2005"/><ref>{{cite thesis|type=Ph.D.|last=Pitts|first=J.P.|date=2002|title=A cladistic analysis of the Solenopsis saevissima species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)|publisher=University of Georgia, Athens|url=https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/pitts_james_p_200205_phd.pdf|pages=42–43}}</ref>