Asian needle ant
Brachyponera chinensis
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Photo credit: Jesse Rorabaugh
Brachyponera chinensis – Asian needle ant
Description:
Habitat:
Origin and Distribution:
Impacts:
Is it found in Northern Ireland?
How could it get here?
Prevent Spread
You can help by reporting any sightings: @ the Centre for Environmental Data & Recording (CEDaR) - Or via the iRecord App.
Current legislative position (Listed on 07 August 2025) This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.
For further queries, you can contact the Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) Team in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on 028 9056 9558 or Email: invasivespecies@daera-ni.gov.uk
Brachyponera chinensis – Asian needle ant
Description:
- A small ant with workers usually 4-5mm and queens slightly larger, around 6.5mm long
- Slender, dark brown to black body with a distinctive smooth, shiny appearance
- Long sharp mandibles
- Stinger present on the rear of the abdomen
Habitat:
- Can establish in disturbed urban environments, gardens and potentially forests
Origin and Distribution:
- Native to East Asia
- Now widely established in the Easten United States
- A population was recorded in Naples in 2022 and near Lake Como in 2024
Impacts:
- In invaded parts of North America, this ant has had strong negative effects on most native ant species
- The ant can give a painful sting that, in some cases, can lead to anaphylaxis
Is it found in Northern Ireland?
- It is not currently present in Northern Ireland
How could it get here?
- It could be introduced accidently through the movement and trade of plants, soil and stone
- Introduction could also take place via hitch-hiking in shipping containers or within other imported goods
Prevent Spread
- Prevention via enforcing the IAS (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) ensuring that Brachyponera chinensis is not introduced to Northern Ireland
- Reporting any sightings so that Rapid Response can be instigated
You can help by reporting any sightings: @ the Centre for Environmental Data & Recording (CEDaR) - Or via the iRecord App.
Current legislative position (Listed on 07 August 2025) This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.
For further queries, you can contact the Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) Team in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on 028 9056 9558 or Email: invasivespecies@daera-ni.gov.uk