The Asian Needle Ant is Spreading Fast Across the South — It's More Dangerous Than You Think

The Asian needle ant has spread from Decatur, Georgia across the South, from North Carolina and South Carolina to Alabama, Kentucky and Louisiana. Its painful sting can cause anaphylaxis in people with insect allergies. But scientists found that the bigger danger may be on the forest floor, where this invasive ant is wiping out the native ants that plant wildflower seeds. We look at what the research actually says about the sting risk, the ecological damage, and how to identify Asian needle ants in your yard. Have you found one? Tell me your state, town and month in the comments. Sources: Rodriguez-Cabal et al. (2012), Disruption of ant-seed dispersal mutualisms by the invasive Asian needle ant, Biological Invasions: https://link.springer.com/article/10.... Guénard and Dunn (2010), A new (old), invasive ant in the hardwood forests of eastern North America, PLOS ONE: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.... Cho et al. (2002), Prevalence of Pachycondyla chinensis venom allergy in an ant-infested area in Korea, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: https://doi.org/10.1067/mai.2002.124890 Nelder et al. (2006), Emergence of the introduced ant Pachycondyla chinensis as a public health threat in the southeastern United States, Journal of Medical Entomology: https://complete.bioone.org/journals/...[1094:EOTIAP]2.0.CO;2/Emergence-of-the-Introduced-Ant-Pachycondyla-chinensis-Formicidae--Ponerinae/10.1603/0022-2585(2006)43[1094:EOTIAP]2.0.CO;2.full University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, As weather cools, prepare for fall insects: https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/news...