An invasive red fire ant is seen in this photo provided by the Environment Ministry.

       OSAKA -- More than 1,000 red fire ants, an invasive species with a toxic bite, were found on the artificial Sakishima island in the city of Osaka's Suminoe Ward in August and September, the Osaka Prefectural Government has announced.

       The tally includes a fire ant colony and four queens. This is the 11th time the ants have been found in the prefecture since they were first confirmed at Osaka Port in July 2017.

       According to the prefectural government announcement on Sept. 28, some 300 fire ants were found in a roadside ditch near a container yard on the island during an Aug. 23 search by a harbor business operator. A Sept. 22 field survey by the Environment Ministry confirmed that at least 1,000 more ants were going in and out of a nearby underground nest.

       The prefectural government warned that the ants' painful bite causes symptoms including fever, saying, "We'd like to place insecticidal food where fire ants are found, and to continue area surveys to prevent them from settling on Sakishima."

       (Japanese original by Yukina Furukawa, Osaka City News Department)

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