Eleven southern states in the US have joined forces to halt the spread of the
imported red fire ant across the country. Early next year, parasitic phorid
flies will be released at key locations from Florida to Tennessee, and North
Carolina to Texas. Phorid flies are a natural enemy in the ants’ native
Argentina. The US Department of Agriculture is helping to distribute the flies,
and experts hope the population of flies will be large enough to suppress the
ants.
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