Small but deadly dangerous: Asian ants "attacked" the whole country (photo)
An insect, capable of causing painful bites and dangerous allergic reactions, has already been observed in 20 US states, including Rhodo Island, Connecticut and even a remote state of Washington, Scientific American reports. According to the US Forest Service, the bite of this ant can provoke anaphylaxis (life -threatening allergic reaction) in about 2% of people. In most cases, there is sharp pain, redness of the skin and urticaria, which can be stored for several hours.
Ants, only about 5 millimeters long, look harmless: their body is dark brown or black, and the tips of the antennae and paws are light orange. However, it is difficult to determine them by the eye, because they resemble ordinary ants that live in the East of the United States. The birthplace of these insects is China, Japan and Korea, but for the first time in the United States they were recorded in 1932. However, only in recent years the population has grown rapidly.
In 2021, the forest service officially recognized them as a threat to both people's health and ecosystems. Ants displace local species that play an important role, for example, in the spread of plant seeds. The inhabitants of the regions where this ant was noticed, it is recommended to be particularly careful in the places of accumulation of wood debris, under fallen leaves, stones and logs - that is where nests are most often equipped. According to Antmaps.
org platform, Asian mowing ant is continuing to capture new territories. Scientists warn that despite attempts to restrain the spread, like most invasive species, this ant has to become part of American nature - and probably for a long time. Earlier, Focus reported that the traveler showed a city where the night did not come. In northern Sweden, the midnight sun has come - a phenomenon in which it does not go beyond the horizon even after midnight.