Crazy ants get their common name from the worker’s habit of running in an erratic, jerky manner when searching for food. This species is called “crazy” because the trail it leaves behind is so irregular and erratic. An accidental import from Argentina and Brazil, the crazy ant is now in Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana. They have the potential to change the ecological balance in the southeastern U.S. largely because the ants can wipe out colonies of what’s been widely considered the insect villain of the region, the fire ant.