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European Fire Ant Updated: June 2019 Invasive Insects: Risks and Pathways Project EUROPEAN FIRE ANT UPDATED: JUNE 2019 Invasive insects are a huge biosecurity challenge. We profile some of the most harmful insect invaders overseas to show why we must keep them out of Australia. Species European fire ant / Myrmica rubra. Also known as the common red ant, European imported fire ant. Main impacts Reaches extremely high densities, reducing other insects and displacing nearly all other ants, including from intact forest habitats. Attacks small mammals and kills nestling birds. Spreads weed seeds. Stings people and pets aggressively, rendering yards, parks and campgrounds uninhabitable. The bites sometimes require medical care. Native range Central and northern Europe, Ireland, Poland, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Ukraine.1 Invasive range United States, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden.1 WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR The European fire ant workers are reddish-brown, covered in fine hairs, and are Main pathways of global spread 4–5 mm long. Their waist has two segments and their abdomen is shiny. Transportation of habitat material (for Photo: Ryszard | Flickr | CC BY-NC 2 example via the movement of potted plants, mulch and fill).2 centipedes and millipedes are scarcer effectively than native ants they increased 5 8 ENVIRONMENTAL under logs inhabited by fire ants . its recruitment more than eight-fold . The invasive harlequin ladybird (Harmonia The fire ants readily sting small mammals IMPACTS OVERSEAS axyridis) may also benefit from fire ants or birds that move through their The European fire ant is invading North territories6. On Appledore Island, Maine, attacking its competitors; in Maine the American forests, forming supercolonies where herring gulls nest in high densities, ants were more aggressive towards native that displace other ants. In conservation 9 fire ants kill some chicks and slow the ladybirds than to the harlequin . reserves in British Columbia where these growth rates of others7. Parent birds ants are present, ‘other ant species are preen frequently in the presence of ants, almost completely absent’3. Nests can HUMAN AND shake their wings and bills, and often be spaced less than a metre apart, with leave and resettle on the nest. Scientists ECONOMIC IMPACTS the ants achieving densities 10 to 1300 fear that the breeding success of Leach’s times those of all ants in unaffected areas. OVERSEAS storm-petrels will suffer if the ants spread Invaded areas in three reserves had fewer European fire ants attack aggressively to other nesting islands7. carab and staphylinid beetles, centipedes, when disturbed, each ant delivering spiders and harvestmen3. In Acadia In a forest in southern Ontario, European multiple stings that initially burn and then 10 National Park, Maine, invaded sites have fire ants were found to be benefiting a itch for several days . Multiple ants may fewer arboreal insects4, and in Tifft Nature weed, greater celandine (Chelidonium sting at once, producing such serious Preserve in New York State, earthworms, majus). By dispersing its seeds more swelling that medical care is required11. INVASION WATCH: European fire ant European fire ant. Photo: Kjetil Fjellheim | Flickr | CC BY-NC 2 Nests can be as dense as four per Unpublished data (2019): Monash University with aphid-tending ants in laboratory arenas. square metre of city back yard, making it and Invasive Species Council. Environmental Entomology. 38: 846–855. impossible to stand on grass11. Yard and 3. Naumann K, Higgins RJ (2015): The 10. British Columbia Government, Thompson garden work is made difficult, and pets European fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Rivers University, Royal BC Museum, Invasive are distressed3. Parks and campgrounds as an invasive species: impact on local ant Species Council of British Columbia (2014): can be rendered unusable11. By one species and other epigaeic arthropods. The European fire ants in British Columbia. Canadian Entomologist estimate, the ants will cost British . 147: 592–601. Retrieved from https://bcinvasives.ca/ documents/European_Fire_Ants_in_BC.pdf. Colombia $100 million a year if they 4. Verble-Pearson R, Pearson S (2016): achieve their potential distribution3. European fire ant presence decreases native 11. Higgins R (n.d.): The European fire ant arboreal insect abundance in Acadia National (Myrmica rubra) in British Columbia. Thompson Park, Maine, USA. Natural Areas Journal. 36: Rivers University. Retrieved from http://faculty. AUSTRALIAN 162–166. tru.ca/rhiggins/myrmica_rubra_index.htm. CONCERNS 5. Warren RJ, Mathew A, Reed K, Bayba S, Krupp K, Spiering DJ (2019): Myrmica rubra Australia has major control programs for microhabitat selection and putative ecological ABOUT THIS PROJECT four invasive ant species, and the risk of impact. Ecological Entomology. 44: 239–248. The Invasive Insects: Risks and other ants arriving is a serious concern. Pathways Project is a partnership 6. McPhee K, Garnas J, Drummond F, Groden E between Monash University and the Invasive The European fire ant would threaten (2012): Homopterans and an invasive red ant, Species Council. To find out more visit natural areas in the cooler parts of Myrmica rubra (L.), in Maine. Environmental invasives.org.au/risks-and-pathways. Australia, where it could be expected to Entomology. 41: 59–71. displace other ants, reduce native insect 7. DeFisher LE, Bonter DN (2013): Effects of numbers, and sting mammals, birds and invasive European fire ants Myrmica( rubra) on people. It could become a major pest of herring gull (Larus argentatus) reproduction. yards and parks. PloS ONE. 8: e64185. 8. Prior KM, Robinson JM, Meadley Dunphy SA, Frederickson ME (2015): Mutualism between SOURCES co-introduced species facilitates invasion and 1. Global Invasive Species Database (2009): alters plant community structure. Proceedings Myrmica rubra. Invasive Species Specialist of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 282: Group, IUCN. Retrieved from http:// 20142846. www.iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/ 9. Finlayson CJ, Alyokhin AV, Porter EW (2009): Myrmica+rubra. Interactions of native and non-native lady 2. Invasive insects: risks and pathways. beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) INVASION WATCH: European fire ant.
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