Study Reveals Invasive Fire Ants Have Reached Europe Due To Global Warming

Illustration of red ants. (Wikimedia Commons/Azim Khan lost)

JAKARTA - Red fire ants, one of the world's worst invasive species, have been found in Europe and built colonies there due to global staging, according to a study.

According to a study published in the scientific journal 'Current Biology', red fire ants have formed an adult population in Sicily, Italy, as reported by Euronews September 12.

The study warned that due to global warming, ants could spread across the continent. Climate in half of Europe's urban areas is said to be suitable for this species.

Fire ants have previously been documented on products in Spain, Finland and the Netherlands but not in the wild as seen in Sicily, where 88 nests have been found.

Locals near the city of Islam, Sicily have reported frequent fire ants since 2019.

Genetic analysis of ants found in the area suggests they may be from the southern United States, mainland China, or Taiwan.

It is unclear how or when this species entered the region, but perhaps through Augusta's nearby cargo port.

The researchers found that ants can breed in 7 percent of Europe and the Mediterranean region in the current environmental conditions. Agricultural areas are the most risky areas, while half of the urban areas studied have appropriate conditions.

Of these, Mediterranean coastal cities with main port connections are the most risky.

Future projections show that the European environment will likely become more suitable for ants as the climate heats up.

The researchers suggest that early detection and action is key in managing this new threat. Reporting residents about stings and nests, can help track the spread of ants.

These ants are said to have a bad impact and are detrimental to biodiversity, food crops and human health. Its aggressive nature makes fire ants usually dominant when entering new areas.

That is, they can destroy the original population of ants and destroy native plants. They also have venomous stings that can kill or injure frogmen, lizards and small mammals.

Ants can also sting people, causing public areas such as gardens to be unsafe for children. They can also cause life-threatening allergic reactions to a small number of people who react to death.

In addition, through predation, competition, and stinging, they are also known to have an impact on birds and fish.

In addition to bringing disaster to the local ecosystem and biodiversity, fire ants can also damage plants and attack electrical equipment.

They are the fifth'most expensive' invasive species in the world, costing nearly 20 billion euros in damage and repair between 1970 and 2017, according to estimates published in the journal Nature in 2021.

The animal, with the Latin name Solenopsis invicta from South America, is among the 100 worst invasive foreign species, according to Global Invasive Species Database.

In less than a century, they have spread to various regions of the world, either through human intermediaries, soil, straw, mulsae, to building materials.

Interestingly, so far New Zealand is the only country that has succeeded in eradicating these invasive ants.