5 days ago
'Harmful' bug discovered in Tenerife as tourists told to 'remain vigilant'
The 'invasive' bugs have been found in a popular tourist town on the island.
Holidaymakers visiting Tenerife are being warned to 'stay vigilant' after a 'harmful' bug was discovered in a popular tourist resort. Holidaymakers should be on alert for any signs of the bug, which experts have described as invasive, as it deliver painful stings.
The little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) has been discovered in Los Cristianos, a popular coastal town that is visited by thousands of Brits every month. The pests, also known as electric ants, can have a harmful impact on both local ecosystems and human activities. They have been known to blind animals and decimate entire native ecosystems.
Entomologists Antonio Pérez and Irene Santos from the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology confirmed the fire ants' presence on the Canary Island.
The tiny creatures are just 1.5 millimetres long, however their bites can be very sore, especially when they attack together. According to experts, they can also significantly destroy the local environment and are know for building supercolonies, which can travel for hundreds of kilometres, according to the Express.
The highly invasive species was discovered near a complex on the edge of a golf course in Los Cristianos, which sparked "immediate containment" efforts by the government, reports the Canarian Weekly.
It is suspected that the ants, which are native to Central and South America, arrived on the Canary Island via imported plants. However, this has yet to be confirmed.
Local media reports the archipelago's government has initiated measures to determine the extent of the infestation and is laying down the groundwork for possible eradication.
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Residents and tourists in the local area have been urged to "remain vigilant" and report any unusual ant activity to their local authority.
The little fire ant is a light or golden brown colour. They earned their name due to their painful sting relative to their size, which is so venomous that it can subdue large insects and vertebrate prey. They consume other infections, decaying vegetation, seeds and plants.
They are an invasive species that has now spread to parts of Africa, including Gabon and Cameroon, Taiwan, Israel, Hawaii and New Caledonia. They tend to colonise areas associated with humans in warmer regions, including forest edges, agricultural fields, and plantations.
It prefers moist conditions, forming colonies on the ground and in trees and is native to Central and South America. The bugs were accidentally introduced as hitchhikers on imported plants.
Their bite has been linked to corneal clouding and blindness in pets and in the Galapagos, as ants attack tortoise hatchlings and sting the eyes of adult tortoises. They also infest bee hives, preying on the larvae and eventually destroy the hive.
Large infestations are believed to be difficult and expensive to control.
A 2022 study estimated that global efforts to control this species have already cost more than $7 billion.
