Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona 08003, Spain.
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona 08003, Spain; Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma 43124, Italy.
Curr Biol. 2023 Sep 11;33(17):R896-R897. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.036.
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is classified as one of the worst invasive alien species and as the fifth costliest worldwide, impacting ecosystems, agriculture and human health. We report the establishment of S. invicta in Europe for the first time, documenting a mature population in Sicily. We use genetic analyses to assess its putative origin, as well as wind tracking and species distribution modelling to predict its potential range on the continent. We show that half of the urban areas in Europe are already suitable and that climate warming expected under current trends will favor the expansion of this invasive ant.
红火蚁（Solenopsis invicta）被列为最具破坏力的入侵生物之一，也是全球第五大最昂贵的入侵生物，对生态系统、农业和人类健康造成影响。我们首次在欧洲发现红火蚁，在西西里岛发现了一个成熟的红火蚁种群。我们利用遗传分析来评估其可能的起源，以及风向跟踪和物种分布模型来预测其在欧洲大陆的潜在分布范围。我们发现，欧洲一半的城市地区已经适宜红火蚁生存，而在当前趋势下预计的气候变暖将有利于这种入侵蚂蚁的扩张。
