by James Murphy, The New American:

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with regards to so-called climate change, a new study from European researchers is warning that the continent is likely to face an incursion of the ant species Solenopsis invicta — more commonly known as fire ants. The species, originally native to South America, is listed as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species by the Global Invasive Species Database.

The species arrived in the United States approximately 100 years ago, probably via shipping containers to ports in the south. In America, fire ants are predominantly found in southern states, since the species is suited to a warmer climate.