‘Supercolony’ of fire ants with sting that causes blindness found in France for first time

Only 1.5mm in size, the insects which have been dubbed “electric ants” are thought to have been in France for at least four or five years, and in the past have been known to cause major disruption to native insect populations across North America, several Pacific Islands and parts of Australia.

And worryingly, France is dealing with an invasion of a “supercolony”. Olivier Blight, a researcher at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology, was quoted saying:  “We were already dealing with a super colony.

“It’s just been identified but has been here around four or five years because there are already several hundred thousand, or even millions, of individuals over a hectare (2.5 acres).”

Mr Blight added that the invasion of the dangerous ants came along with some plants too. The red ants are known for building large mound nests that are flattened, irregular in shape, and are between two to four square feet in size.

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Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1691156/france-fire-ants-invasive-species-blindness-toulon-animal-news