invicta's first point of arrival in Europe. "And the real extension of the invaded area is probably larger." "The locals have been experiencing these painful things since at least 2019, so the ants have probably been there for a while," says Menchetti. After speaking with locals, the researchers learned that people in the Sicilian region had been getting stung - and frequently - for several years. They found a total of 88 nests in a 4.7-hectare area next to a river, some of which housed many thousands of worker ants. invicta, the researchers took a trip to the region to confirm the ants' identity and collect samples. We could not believe our eyes when we saw it."Īfter seeing photos taken in Sicily of what looked like S.
"For decades, scientists have feared that it would arrive. "There are a vast number of alien ant species currently establishing in Europe, and the absence of this species was kind of a relief," says Menchetti. Europe has evaded them for longer than expected, say the researchers. But humans have also helped it spread both through the maritime trade industry and by shipping plant products, enabling it to establish in Australia, China, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the United States in less than a century. invicta has spread quickly, flying into wind streams to travel farther on the local level. invicta's name comes from the ant's most infamous characteristic - its stings - which are painful and, occasionally, may cause anaphylactic shock.Īlthough it originated in South America, S. "Finding this species in Italy was a big surprise, but we knew this day would come."Ĭommonly known as the imported red fire ant, S. It can spread alarmingly quickly," says lead author Mattia Menchetti of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain. invicta is one of the worst invasive species.
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