It measures only 1.5 millimeters, but represents a threat to biodiversity: the “electric ant”, an invasive species so nicknamed because of its painful sting, was detected for the first time on French metropolitan territory, revealed a researcher at AFP.
It is in the south of France, in Toulon, that Wasmannia auropunctata, “electric ant” or “little fire ant”, native to South America, was spotted by an ant enthusiast, in a closed residence of sea side.
Until now, this species native to South America had only been observed once in Europe, in the region of Malaga in Spain.
When Olivier Blight, researcher at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Avignon formally identified it in Toulon, “we were already dealing with a super-colony, so we think it is there for more than a year”.
queensland government
Probably introduced “during a transport of plants”, the ant has already been observed up to 100 meters from the residence.
Wasmannia auropunctata is extremely invasive, even if it moves slowly, because it combines “a classic sexual reproduction system and the production of queens and males by cloning”, explains Olivier Blight.
“Its strength is its number,” insists the researcher, who placed the species on the list of species of concern for the European Union.
Its sting causes “a sensation of nettle, stronger and longer, since it lasts 2-3 hours”, and with this formidable weapon the electric ant can destroy insects, cause the blindness of other animals, and make them escape permanently.
In New Caledonia, “in the forests it has invaded, you no longer hear any insect sounds”.
In humans, in addition to painful bites, the electric ant can cause anaphylactic shocks among allergic people.
In the regions it has invaded, remarks Olivier Blight, “its eradication has enormous costs”. Thus, in Queensland, Australia, which it has colonized since 2006, 30 million dollars have already been dedicated to the fight against Wasmannia auropunctata.
After declaring his presence to the authorities at the beginning of September, the researcher wishes to “communicate as much as possible to raise awareness among the general public”, in particular to access the residences neighboring the first outbreak detected.
“We must very quickly make a precise delimitation of the invasion zone to develop an eradication plan,” pleads Mr. Blight, comparing the strategy to that put in place by the authorities in the presence of tiger mosquitoes.
The Member States of the European Union have 3 months from the detection of an invasive species, to establish an eradication plan, recalls Mr. Blight.
The researcher will carry out a molecular analysis on the samples taken in Toulon to try to determine the origin of the importation of the species in France.