The arrival of the feared red Argentine fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) from its natural habitat in South America to the European continent. Isolated examples had already been seen in goods arriving in many European countries, including Spain, but this has now been revealed. Nests of this species were detected for the first time in Europeespecially on the island of Sicily.
It is one of the most dangerous ants on the planet, both because of the damage it causes and the damage it causes to ecosystems and other species. strong stings that are very painful and can lead to complications, In some cases it even causes death of animals and humans.
Scientists from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra) have been monitoring the species for some time and are tightening the fences until their suspicions are confirmed: 88 nests of red fire ant near the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily (Italy), distributed over approximately five hectares. The article containing this finding was published in the journal Current Biology.
It is an invasive species from China or the United States, places where it is also unfamiliar with their ecosystems.
The most worrying thing, according to researchers, is Climate change creates conditions for rapid spread across the European continentAs shown in these maps from the study published in that journal:
Spain is one of the countries where the red fire ant thrives the most. The expected development of temperature, humidity and other ecological conditions, Our region is a welcome place for this insect. Mediterranean port cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Palma, Cartagena or Malaga can be the gateway to the Peninsula.
dangerous for humans
The bite of a red fire ant is painful and can cause skin pustules as well as allergic reactions. anaphylactic shock in humans, as indeed has already happened in Spain in isolated examples arriving with goods unloaded at the port. In some cases, These bites can be fatal.. Apart from this, they cause serious damage to ecosystems and crops.
In fact, it is assumed that the ants that settled in Sicily must have arrived by boat, and it is thought possible that there were more nests than those already found around Syracuse.
There are already many countries invaded by this species, from Argentina to Brazil. This is the case in the United States, Mexico, many Caribbean countries, China, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. This last country is the only country in which it can be destroyed.
Reference work: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00974-0
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