Two species of fire ants are found in Florida. Most notorious is Solenopsis invicta Buren, the red imported fire ant (RIFA), followed by the much less common Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius), the tropical or native fire ant. Other more common U.S. members of this genus include Solenopsis xyloni McCook, the southern fire ant; Solenopsis aurea Wheeler, found in western states; and Solenopsis richteri Forel, the black imported fire ant, confined to northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama.