The Asianneedleant is a small, brownish ant that is often seen wandering alone and has a sting that can cause anaphylaxis in some people. The ant has caused concern in Georgia, where one entomologist got three calls about serious anaphylactic reactions in 2024. The Asianneedleants are tiny — about a fifth of an inch long — and are dark brown or black with lighter orange-brown on their antennae and legs. They can be difficult to notice because, unlike fire ants, for example, they don't build mounds or establish foraging trails. The Asianneedleant is an invasiveant species native to China, Japan and the Koreas, but they were spotted in the southeastern portion of the United States as early as 1932. While Connecticut has not reported any Asianneedleants, the state does host a variety of invasive animal species including the emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly and spongy moth. Closeup of an Asianneedleant worker carrying prey in its mouth on a wooden surface. Asianneedleants are relatively small, dark and shiny. The tips of their legs and antennae are light orange. (Image credit: Clarence Holmes Wildlife via Alamy). Warnings of a potentially dangerous invasiveant have popped up on news sites and social media this week. You’d be forgiven for thinking a new threat had arrived. But this insect, the Asianneedleant (Brachyponera chinensis), is no newcomer—just a master of remaining inconspicuous. InvasiveAsianneedleants are surging in US Southeast — and their bite can trigger anaphylaxis.AsianNeedleAnts Are Spreading, and They Sting—Here's How to Protect Yourself. 17 days ago. By Lauren Thomann. Asianneedleants with a potentially fatal sting have spread across multiple states.I know an RN who just had one of his legs removed/amputated due to an Asianneedleant bite. He is in rehab and waiting for his prosthesis. The Asianneedleant, Brachyponera chinensis, is an invasiveant with a difference. In areas it invades, not only does it displace native ants, but predates on termites. A species of invasive stinging ants is on the rise as they hit peak season in the summer. Asianneedleants deliver a painful and venomous sting capable of causing allergic or even life-threatening reactions. Experts are sounding the alarm about an invasive, carnivorous ant with a painful sting that’s spreading across the United States. Asianneedleants (Brachyponera chinensis) were first discovered in the U.S. in 1932. The Asianneedleants are coming out this summer across the eastern U.S. They can cause a potentially deadly allergic reaction. (NIH/NC State). The ants’ stings “work to their advantage in gaining new territory,” according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. How was this invasiveant discovered in Southern Indiana? "From the information I have, a perceptive homeowner and pest control professional near Evansville recognized this ant as being something out of the norm. They tentatively identified it as an Asianneedleant... The AsianNeedleAnt, Brachyponera chinensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), has spread throughout a substantial portion of the southeastern United States where it has primarily been restricted to low elevations.
