Invasive Red Fire Ants Have Now Spread to Europe, Scientists Warn

Red fire ants have marched one by one into Sicily - the first official sighting of the invasive species in Europe. If these notorious swarming insects, originally from South America, continue to spread like they have elsewhere, experts worry they could claim the whole continent. Today, imported red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are the fifth costliest invasive species in the world, causing billions of dollars of environmental damage in numerous nations. True to their name, the species delivers a burning venomous sting, and because these insects run in packs numbering upwards of half a million individuals, they can easily attack…