A new study warns that an invasive non-native ant species has been established in Italy and might swiftly move through Europe to the UK as a result of global warming.

Solenopsis invicta, the red fire ant, has a severe sting, destroys crops, and can infest electrical devices such as vehicles and computers.

The ant, which is regarded as one of the most damaging invasive species, can quickly develop "super colonies" with many queens. The colonies feed on invertebrates, bigger animals, and plants, damaging native vegetation and competing for food with local ants, insects, and herbivores.

The red fire ant is the world's fifth most invasive species, spreading through human commerce from its native South America into Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia, and the United States, where it is estimated to cause $6 billion (£4.8 billion) in damage each year.

Early detection is essential

Researchers discovered 88 red fire ant nests spread across 5 hectares (12 acres) in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. According to DNA tests reported in Current Biology, the invading colonies might have originated in China or the United States.

The study's principal investigator, Roger Vila, of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology's Butterfly Diversity and Evolution Lab, said, "Coordinated efforts for early detection and rapid response in the region are essential to successfully manage this new threat before it spreads uncontrollably."

Invasive ant species are readily propagated when plants in soil are transported into Britain, according to the charity Buglife, which has called on the government to prohibit the import of soil.

The EU has prohibited the export of soil from the United Kingdom, but the United Kingdom has not taken equivalent measures to prevent imports, primarily through the horticulture trade.

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David Smith from Buglife called it an "open door for non-native species that are soil-dwellers."

He explained that once an invasive species enters Europe, it will be "very hard" to eradicate, particularly because ants are especially known to spread quickly.

Delays in biosecurity frustrating

The ant has previously been discovered in imported items in Spain, Finland, and the Netherlands, but its presence in the wild on the continent has never been established.

While the EU has added the red fire ant to its "species of concern" list, the British government has not updated its list since Brexit, despite pleas from scientists worried about new invasive species.

Smith also expressed an increased frustration from government delays in biosecurity measures.

Australia is spending $400 million to eradicate the ant, but its government has been chastised for failing to act forcefully enough to eliminate the species. New Zealand is the only country that has effectively exterminated the red fire ant, which first emerged in the country in 2001.

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Researchers found that it might establish itself in around 7% of Europe, with more than half of major cities like Rome, Paris, and Barcelona holding ideal climates to suit it. Global warming will only make it easier for the species to spread as the continent grows warmer. 

Mattia Menchetti, the lead author of the study, explained that the public could play a significant role in detecting the species since it is commonly found in urban areas.

Menchetti noted, "It is possible to detect this ant due to its painful stings and the characteristic mounds of their nests, although confirmation of an expert is required.”

The Sicilian colonies are located on the outskirts of Syracuse, near an estuary and natural park. Wind-assisted flying queen ants, according to researchers, arrived from the port of Syracuse to the northwest. The panel has advised that the port be monitored more closely.