A typical fogo ant colony produces large mounds in open areas and feeds mostly on young plants, seeds, and sometimes crickets.

fogo ants often attack small animais and can kill them.

Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fogo ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom (piperidine).

For humans, this is a painful sting, which leaves a sensation similar to what one feels when they get burned por fogo - hence the name fogo ant - and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals.