Red fire ant colonies found in Italy, fear they could spread across Europe
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An invasive non-native ant species has become established in Italy and could rapidly spread through Europe to the UK with global heating, a study warns.
The red fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has a powerful sting, damages crops and can infest electrical equipment including cars and computers.
The ant, considered one of the most destructive invasive species, can rapidly form “super colonies” with multiple queens. The colonies prey on invertebrates, larger vertebrates and plants, destroying native plants and out-competing native ants, insects and herbivores for food.
The red fire ant is the fifth most costly invasive species in the world, spreading via human trade from its native South America into Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia and the US, where it causes an estimated damage of $6bn (£4.8bn) each year.
Researchers have identified 88 red fire ant nests across 5 hectares (12 acres) near the city of Syracuse, in Sicily, Italy. According to genetic analyses in a study published in Current Biology, the invasive colonies could have come from China or the US.
In Europe, the ant has previously been found in imported products in Spain, Finland and the Netherlands but its establishment in the wild on the continent has never before been confirmed.
While the EU has updated its “species of concern” list to include the red fire ant, the British government has not updated its list since Brexit despite calls from experts concerned about new invasive species.
The red fire ant is a heat-loving species but the researchers concluded that it could establish itself in approximately 7% of Europe.
Mediterranean coastal cities are the most suitable to the ant, and their seaports could facilitate its spread.
Mattia Menchetti, the lead author of the study, said: “The public could play a key role in the detection of S invicta, considering that it is frequently found in urban and adjacent areas. It is possible to detect this ant due to its painful stings and the characteristic mounds of their nests, although confirmation of an expert is required.”
The Sicilian colonies are located in an estuary and natural park in the suburbs of Syracuse. Researchers believe wind-assisted flying queen ants arrived there from the port of Syracuse to the north-west. The team has recommended further monitoring of the port.
