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. The ants could soon spread all over the continent, the researchers warn, which could cause major environmental, health, and economic problems in Italy and beyond. In an article published in the journal Current Biology on September 11, a group of ant experts confirm that the species has made its way to Sicily-the ant's first official sighting in Europe.
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