This Monday, the inhabitants of the small town of Croix-Valmer, in the Var, discovered that a colony of electric ants had taken up residence on the municipal territory. This is the second report in France of this species native to South America since 2022. Is it serious, doctor? “Not necessarily,” explains 20 Minutes Léna Polin, entomologist.
It seems that insects from South America are similar in terms of climate to the south of France. At least as far as the electric ant is concerned, a first colony of which was discovered in Toulon, in 2022, then at Croix-Valmer, in the Var, this Monday. A bit like bedbugs, these are insects which were brought to France “by travelers or exotic goods imported from South America”, specifies the entomologist.
Pain “like an electric shock”
“Electric ant”, the little nickname of the Wasmannia auropunctatacomes from the sensation caused by its bite, “irritating and painful like an electric shock”, explains Léna Polin. Painful, but not serious and even less fatal according to the specialist, even if she recognizes that the pain can be felt differently depending on the individual.
It is perhaps for biodiversity that the fire ant is most problematic. “It is a very territorial species which chases away all other species of insects from the place it has chosen to colonize,” recognizes the entomologist. According to her, although it is a bit of an exaggeration, it is said that places where there are electric ants have “gone silent”.
Although scientists have not yet issued an alert about this insect, they consider the species “of concern” and are still keeping an eye on it. “With climate change and globalization, we know that new species will arrive here,” explains Léna Polin. “It’s not necessarily problematic even if we don’t yet know how nature will react,” she continues. The most likely scenario is that of an adaptation of nature to the arrival of Wasmannia auropunctata, particularly on the part of predators not yet accustomed to eating fire ants.
