Red fire ants, one of world’s most invasive species, storms Europe: ‘We knew this day would come’By Katherine Donlevy
Published Sep. 14, 2023
It’s a milit-ant takeover.
Red fire ants have finally made the pilgrimage to Europe — and are threatening to take over the continent, according to a new study.
The tiny insects — considered one of the world’s most invasive species — established at least 88 nests across 12 acres near the city of Syracuse in Sicily.
The sightings mark the first time the bugs, known by their scientific name Solenopsis invicta, have been sighted in Europe, researchers announced in a study published Monday in science journal Current Biology.
“S. invicta is one of the worst invasive species. It can spread alarmingly quickly,” lead author Mattia Menchetti of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain, said in a statement.
“Finding this species in Italy was a big surprise, but we knew this day would come.”
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/09/14/red-fire-ants-one-of-worlds-most-invasive-species-storms-europe/
