Dead fire ant queen found in private home in Osaka Pref.
(Mainichi Japan)
YAO, Osaka -- The body of a queen fire ant, an alien species with a toxic sting, has been discovered at a private house here, the Environment Ministry said on May 10.
The body was found in a cardboard box containing an electrical appliance made in China. It was the first of the invasive insects reported found in Japan this year, and also the first ever discovered in a private house.
According to the ministry, the cardboard box was packed at a factory in China in early April. It was unloaded from a cargo ship at Osaka Port in mid-April and kept in a warehouse in the city of Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, before being shipped to Yao.
The person who bought the appliance on May 9 found the dead queen when opening the box. The person reported the ant to the import company, which then informed the ministry.
Related Articles
- 【Related】New DNA method helps to quickly identify fire ants
- 【Related】Environment Ministry taking steps in bid to prevent fire ants from settling in Japan
- 【Related】Tips on how to deal with a fire ant sting
- Doubts emerge about environment ministry's claim on fire ant deaths
- More fire ants found in Tokyo port container, presence of queens possible
- Over 100 red imported fire ants found at Tokyo Port
- More fire ant queens found in Japan at Kobe port
- Suspected fire ant queen found at port in Osaka: Environment Ministry
