S. xyloni seems to love disturbed soil. Here is a newly formed nest entrance at the base of a freshly planted agave (sigh)

Solenopsis xyloni will often build runways along frequently travelled areas. These runways are can extend for many feet, and parts of it may be covered over with soil.

The creature in the upper right of this photo is a Staphylinid, or Rove, beetle. It is not unusual to see these beetles mingling with the Fire Ants.

S. xyloni is fond of eating "honeydew", the sugary secretions of various bugs which drink the sap of plants. Here S. xyloni is looking for honeydew secreted by scale insects and lace bugs on a Brittlebush leaf.

These S. xyloni are tending to a group of Cotton-cushion bugs, the fluffy white things in the middle of the picture.

These ants are feeding on honeydew from lace bugs and from scale insects. The scale insects are between the leaves of this mesquite tree, which are withered and holding together tightly.

I think the withering is something that the scales cause. As the leaves age, though, the leaves come apart, as in this photo. You can see the Fire Ants making the most of this opening.

Here is an ant trying to wedge her head in between the leaves.

This Fire Ant has found an lace bug skin. I am not really sure what she is going to do with it.

While the Fire Ants were covering the tree, geometrid (inchworm) caterpillars could be seen hanging from their silken threads.

Presumably this was to avoid the ants. The next day I saw a caterpillar in the same place as this one lower itself down on a thread as the ants searched...only to be grabbed by a passing hummingbird (!). Somedays a caterpillar just can't win.

Fire Ant on mesquite twig.