The spotted lanternfly might be the least of your worries this summer.
Experts are sounding the alarm about the Asian needle ant — a tiny but dangerous insect moving across the US whose sting can lead to severe and even deadly reactions.
As Americans flock outdoors to soak up the sunshine, scientists are urging caution so that your summertime fun doesn’t end with a trip to the emergency room.
What are Asian needle ants?
Known to scientists as Brachyponera chinensis, the Asian needle ant hails from China, Japan and the Koreas. It was first spotted in the States back in the 1930s, according to a report by the US Forest Service (USFS).
These ants are small — about 0.2 inches long — with shiny dark brown to black bodies. They’re often mistaken for other species, making them easy to miss.
Where are they now?
Asian needle ants have popped up in 20 states so far, mainly in the Northeast and Southeast, but reports have come in from as far as Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Washington, according to antmaps.org.
These pests can survive cooler weather and start appearing as early as March, but their numbers peak in June and July.
Asian needle ants are often found in moist, shaded areas, like leaf litter, under rocks and inside dead logs. They can also nest in potted plants, under wood piles and in lawns.
“People don’t typically notice them,” Dan Suiter, a professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia, recently told the university.
“Unlike, say, fire ants, which build a mound, the Asian needle ant doesn’t establish foraging trails — those lines of ants you can see.”
Why are they dangerous?
Asian needle ants aren’t as aggressive as fire ants and usually flee from humans. But when disturbed — like if you reach into their mulch or wood piles — they’ll sting in self-defense.
And that sting packs a punch.
“Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh,” Benoit Guénard, a professor of ecology and entomology at the University of Hong Kong who studied the ants in North Carolina, told USA Today.
“It’s a very sharp, acute pain but it’s quite local,” he added.
To make matters worse, the pain can come and go in waves.
“The first, initial pain lasted a few seconds. Then about five minutes later, when the pain had eased, I felt ‘ouch!’ as if somebody had stung me again in the same place,” Guénard said.
“For me, it goes on for about two hours … But I know in some people it lasts for as much as 24 to 48 hours.”
Victims can also develop skin reactions like hives, itching and flushed or pale skin.
In more serious cases, stings can trigger nausea, vomiting, dizziness, a rapid pulse, swelling of the tongue or throat, difficulty breathing and even psychological symptoms, like a sense of impending doom.
The biggest threat is anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can strike within seconds of being stung.
A study from the ants’ native range found that 2.1% of people stung suffered severe, potentially life-threatening reactions. Experts say those with allergies to other insect stings are especially vulnerable.
In Georgia alone, Suiter received three calls last year about anaphylactic shock following stings from Asian needle ants.
“I fully expect that some people who end up in the emergency room were stung by them but didn’t realize it,” he told Scientific American.
“If you suffer from anaphylaxis, you should really know what this ant looks like,” he warned. “And it might be smart to carry an EpiPen.”
The USFS urges anyone experiencing an allergic reaction to seek immediate medical attention.
