An invasive alien ant species has established itself in Italy and could quickly spread across Europe to the UK due to global warming, researchers warn. 88 nests of red fire ants have been discovered near Syracuse in Sicily, The Guardian reports.

The red fire ant Solenopsis invicta has a strong sting, damages crops and can infect electrical equipment, including cars and computers.

This ant, one of the most destructive invasive species, can quickly form “supercolonies” with multiple queens. Colonies feed on invertebrates, larger vertebrates and plants, destroying native plants and out-competing native ants, insects and herbivores for food.

How the fire ant spreads

The red fire ant is the fifth costliest invasive species in the world, spreading through human trafficking from its native South America to Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia and the United States, where it causes $6 billion in damage each year.

Researchers have identified 88 nests of red fire ants in an area of ​​five hectares near the city of Syracuse in Sicily, Italy. According to a genetic analysis conducted in a study published in Current Biology, the invasive colonies may have originated in China or the United States.

In Europe, the ant has previously been found in imported products in Spain, Finland and the Netherlands, but has not yet been confirmed to exist in the wild on the continent.

Roger Vila, principal investigator of the Institute for Evolutionary Biology’s Butterfly Diversity and Evolution Laboratory, who led the study, warned that “coordinated efforts for early detection and rapid response in the region are essential to successfully manage this new threat before it spreads out of control.”

The charity Buglife says invasive ant species are easily spread when plants are placed in soil imported from the UK and has called on the government to ban soil imports. The EU has banned soil imports from the UK, but the UK has not reciprocated to end imports, which are mainly through the horticultural trade.

It may spread across Europe as the climate warms

New Zealand is the only country to have successfully eradicated the red fire ant since its introduction in 2001.

The red fire ant is a thermophilic species, and researchers have concluded that it may colonize about 7% of Europe. In the current climate, half of Europe’s urban areas would be climatically suitable for this, including major cities such as London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona.

With global warming, the continent will become much more suitable for this species and will facilitate its spread in Europe. Mediterranean coastal cities are the most suitable for ants, and ports here can promote their spread.

“The public can play a key role in identifying S invicta, given that it is commonly found in cities and surrounding areas. This ant can be identified by its painful stings and the characteristic mounds of their nests, although expert confirmation is needed,” said Mattia Menchetti, lead author of the study.

Colonies discovered in Sicily are located in an estuary and in a natural park in the suburbs of Syracuse. Researchers believe that the flying queen ants arrived there from the northwestern port of Syracuse with the help of the wind. The team recommended continued monitoring of the port. (Source: News.ro / Photo: Dreamstime.com)