Invasive ant species known for ‘wicked' sting spreading in U.S. Here's why CT should be concerned.

Yahoo

a day ago

The Asian needle ant, an invasive insect known for its painful and potentially deadly bite, is spreading across the United States, according to officials.
The invasive ants were first discovered in Georgia in 1932 and over the following decades have since spread throughout much of the southern United States. Over the last few years, they have been moving north as far as Massachusetts, according to antmaps.org.
'There is one record of an Asian needle ant in Connecticut in 1980, but when I looked at the report, it said Lewisboro, which is actually on the border in New York,' said Katherine Dugas, entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. 'There are no reports of the ants in Connecticut at this time.'
The insects – Brachyponera chinensis — roughly translated as 'short, wicked ant from China' are native to China, Japan and Korea. The ants are carnivorous, seeking out prey such as flies, beetles, grasshoppers and termites, according to officials.
Asian needle ants are about 0.2 inches in length and dark brown or black with the end of the antennae and the legs being a lighter orange-brown. The invasive ants are known to prey on other insects and are capable of displacing native ant species that are critical for seed dispersal, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Because of this, the ants are considered an ecological threat, Dugas said.
The dark brown ants live in colonies in leaf litter, rotted logs, firewood and mulch. They often appear in residential settings, including parks and urban areas, homes and under railroad ties, logs, bricks and pavers, according to officials.
'One of the other big issues with the needle ant, aside from the ecological concerns it poses, is that it is a home infesting ant known to cause structural issues,' Dugas said. 'What we would be concerned about is that the ants are brought here on an ornamental plant from the South or in soil used for planting. The ants can be moved hundreds of miles if there is an expansion in domestic trade or movement. Plants and soil imported from the South could risk the insects being transported up here inadvertently.'
The ants are famously known for their painful sting, which may result in a life-threatening anaphylaxis shock. Stings are often reported to result in intense pain, much like a needle prick, at the site of the sting that comes and goes over the course of several hours. Some people experience pain away from the sting site. Redness of the skin and mild to severe hives have been reported as symptoms.
'They're really a triple threat,' Dugas said. 'The health issue, structural issue and environmental issue.'
Dugas said that the needle ant is not considered an aggressive species like the more well-known invasive fire ant, but the ant will sting if accidentally stepped on or provoked, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The ant uses its mandible to grab on to the skin before curling its abdomen to reveal its stinger and inject venom into the body.
Dugas said that it has the potential to spread into the Northeast. Connecticut's climate has been warming over the past decade, allowing invasive insects that previously couldn't survive the state's harsh winters to now have a greater chance of survival, she said. Several invasive species native to tropical Asia including the Asian tiger mosquito and Asian Longhorned tick have recently been recorded in Connecticut.
'Our climate is changing and we're warming up, so I think as a general rule of thumb, we can never say never,' Dugas said.
'We're noticing this with ticks that have had traditionally more southern ranges are now starting to expand. So the two native North American ticks such as the Lone Star and Gulf Coast tick have both been expanding their ranges in Connecticut. So we are seeing more tropical species expanding their range here.'
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [e-mail].