00:03red fire ants are native to south america but they have now been found all over the world they are
00:08estimated to be the fifth most costly invasive species globally killing plants and wreaking
00:13havoc on ecosystems wherever they end up and now according to a new report they've been found
00:18swarming in europe for the first time they were discovered in italy and now that they have reached
00:22the mainland experts warn the rest of europe is sure to follow red fire ants are so dangerous
00:27because of both their venomous bite and their numbers current biology reports they can overwhelm
00:32even much larger prey because they roll around in groups of half a million biting repeatedly they also
00:37overwhelm and destroy plants engulfing them and cutting off the food supply to other creatures
00:41that need those plants to survive as invicta as red fire ants are called scientifically have already
00:47spread to the southern u.s china taiwan australia the caribbean islands japan and the philippines
00:53traveling on goods that have been traded between nations they spread rapidly due to their ingenuity
00:58as well traveling underground on the air or even via rafts made from their own species
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