The dangerous electric ant arrives in France. How to recognize it?

It is almost invisible to the naked eye, but the presence of this little beast in France worries. The arrival in France of the electric ant has been confirmed after the discovery of an enthusiast in a garden in Lot, reports Release. This tiny insect of only 1.5 millimeters can indeed cause significant damage. Its very name can cause concern. It does refer to its sting, but it is perfectly tolerable for humans.

According to specialists, it is a little more intense and lasts longer than a nettle sting, but is not as painful as a tiger mosquito bite. So nothing to scream in pain. Like many Hymenoptera, the electric ant can, in certain cases, cause serious allergic reactions requiring hospitalization. But this is extremely rare. On this point, its presence in France would therefore pose no more problems than that of bees or hornets.

A hard-to-spot super-predator

So why so much fear? It’s that this insect is extremely invasive for the rest of the biodiversity. The electric ant is on the list of the hundred most invasive species in the world. She is qualified as “concerning” by European Union classification. “Along with the Argentine ant, these are the two most problematic species”confirm to Release Olivier Blight, teacher-researcher at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Avignon. It is a super-predator for other species. It can also cause blindness in dogs and cats.

To eradicate it, it will be necessary to quickly identify its presence, which is not always easy. Tiny, it is characterized by its color ranging from yellow to brown. It moves slowly and is likely to settle just about anywhere, from under a pile of leaves to inside a car. Its worker colonies can reach several meters between the nest and a food source. But, without a good magnifying glass and knowledge of entomologyit is difficult to differentiate it from another species.