A non-native ant species has been found reproducing in large numbers at Osaka International Airport in western Japan.

Officials of the airport operator and local municipalities say they found Argentine ants after inspecting over 10 hectares of the west side of the grounds on March 29.

The insects, which are about 2.5 millimeters long, are native to South America and designated by Japan's Environment Ministry as an invasive alien species.

The officials found numerous colonies with each one estimated to be populated by over tens of thousands of ants. The pests are believed to have been breeding for several years.

Officials of the Environment Ministry and other organizations say this is the first time a non-native invasive ant species has been found reproducing in large numbers at an airport in the country.

Goka Kouichi of the Biodiversity Division at the National Institute for Environmental Studies says the ants tend to gather around electronic equipment and cables and could cause short-circuits or other malfunctions to air traffic control equipment. He said that as the ants may have already arrived at other airports, those facilities should be inspected immediately.

Source: ANNnewsCH