Red fire ant colonies found in Italy and could spread across Europe, says study | Insects | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/11/red-fire-ant-colonies-sicily-italy-europe-spread-studyAn 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.
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“We can do something to stop these arriving but once an invasive ant species is here it’s going to be very hard to eradicate. Ants are notorious for being able to spread quickly.”
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.
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The red fire ant is a heat-loving species but the researchers concluded that it could establish itself in approximately 7% of Europe.
In today’s climate, half of the urban areas in Europe would be climatically suitable for it, including large cities such as London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona. With global heating, the continent will become much more suitable for the species and help its spread across Europe.
Mediterranean coastal cities are the most suitable to the ant, and their seaports could facilitate its spread.