Reacción a "Reactions: the fire ant, one of the most invasive species, is already in Europe and may arrive in Spain"

The globalization of trade and travel has led to high worldwide invasion rates. One potential driver of this acceleration is the bridgehead effect, in which initial invasive populations (e.g. USA or China) serve as a source of additional invasions through secondary introductions. Studies of several invasive ant species suggest that invasion success is primarily attributed to populations of a particular genotype (e.g., H5 of S. invicta found in Italy) that is also dominant in its homeland.

Urbanized areas experience higher temperatures than adjacent suburban natural or rural areas. This is known as the urban heat island effect, which is promoting the spread and establishment of invasive species in the native and introduced range.

The red fire ant is the most ecological and behaviourally dominant ant species in its homeland. Introduced populations of S. invicta can reach up to 10 times higher densities than native ant species and thus dominate most potential food sources. Thus, this ant is a potential ecological and economic threat in all areas where climates are natural or artificially suitable, as in big cities, including large portions of Europe.