What you needle to know about the Asian needle ant

A small, hard-to-spot insect is making a big entrance in Missouri.

The Asian needle ant, with its painful sting and potential impacts on both people and forests, has now been confirmed in the state. For many Missourians, including University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff, it was a relatively unfamiliar name until recently. Althoff first came across the insect while monitoring national news coverage on emerging insect issues in last year. Curious about its growing attention, she began digging deeper.

Native to parts of East Asia, the Asian needle ant was first detected in the United States in the 1930s along the East Coast. Since then, it has quietly expanded its range and is now found across nearly half of the continental U.S.

PHOTO: Asian needle ant. (Joe MacGown | Mississippi State University)