Imagine Xenomorphs and Predators mass-slaughtering people in peaceful towns.

Yes, this is what, say, an unwelcome colony of fire ants would do to the wildlife and military personnel inhabiting Pulau Tekong (a Singaporean island famous for being home to many fresh military recruits) if an unexpected ecological change somehow imports these pests from South America.

An invasive species is “a non-native species  whose introduction causes or is likely to cause environmental harm. The term ‘invasive’; is used for the most aggressive species. These species grow and reproduce rapidly, causing major disturbance to the areas in which they are present.”

The Red Imported Fire Ant is a classic example of an invasive species.

Although it is now considered a native species of South America, it was originally a foreign species, introduced to the U.S. sometime during the 1930’s. It’s an extremely destructive race of ants, capable of quickly altering the ecosystem of any environment they invade.

Apart from inflicting venomous bites on any living being unfortunate enough to incur their wrath (e.g. silly humans stepping on their nests), they intentionally seek out various organisms for food too, reportedly attacking other ant species, baby birds and even small mammals, such as rodents and baby cattle.

Furthermore, they typically spread to new, unconquered territory by floating on top of floodwater, and also damage electrical equipment due to their strange attraction to electricity.

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