This is a fire ant, this is also a no-no to touch.They have a mahogany/copper brown head with a darker, almost black, abdomen. The workers vary from black to red and are anywhere between 1/8th and 1/4th of an inch, all sizes and colors can be found in the same mound.
Since ants are so small my easiest way to identify fire ants is to look at what they aren't. They are not orangey, bright red, black, or yellow; they are not large. They are just dark, vaguely red, little ants.
While most ants bite to spray acid, fire ants bite to hold so it can sting from the abdomen almost like a wasp.Also, one easy way to tell if the ant nest is a fire ant nest is to disturb it quickly and get back quicker. Fire ants instantly swarm the surface in droves and if they find nothing up there they begin to spread outwards; they are intent on attacking the intruders. And if you are bitten soak the affected area in a solution of one part clorox to ten parts water, I'm told it works wonders.
Here's what happened when I accidentally stepped on a mound, luckily I noticed the ground gave way too easily and I had my camera with me and turned on.
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