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Australia's
ecosystems are under
from an invasive and
species – the red fire ant. The tiny ant is native to South America, but has spread across the
over the past
. It is one of the world's most invasive
. It causes extensive damage to crops and agricultural land. It also kills large numbers of indigenous insects and other animals, including livestock. The ant's painful and
sting can cause severe allergic
in humans. It can also cause fatal
shock. A spokeswoman for the Minister for Agriculture called the fire ants "a terrible invasive super-
, which cause serious social, economic and environmental harm".
