The Asian Needle Ant (Brachyponera chinensis (syn. Pachycondyla chinensis), order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae) is native to China, Korea, and Japan (Smith, 1934). Contrary to some recent media headlines, it is not new to the U.S. The needle ant was first found in Decatur, GA, in 1932 (Smith, 1934). Since that time, the needle ant has been confirmed in several other states, including one location in southwest Ohio.

Erik Draper (OSU Extension, Geauga County) reported during this week’s BYGL Zoom Inservice that the needle ant has been the subject of alarming headlines such as “Invasive Asian needle ant with potentially fatal sting found in [insert state here].” Coincidentally, last week, I received a phone call from a homeowner in Jamestown (Greene County), OH, concerned that the needle ants were invading her home; they weren’t. She had learned about the ants “invading Ohio” from a Dayton news outlet.

Here’s What to Know: Just the Facts

Ant specimens collected from a single colony in Cincinnati, OH, in November 2017, were confirmed to be Asian needle ants by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) (Boggs, 2018). Consequently, Ohio is listed as one of the states where the ant has been confirmed (Guénard et al., 2018; Ivanov, 2019). However, to my knowledge, the needle ants have not been confirmed to occur elsewhere in our state.

Knowing exactly where a non-native insect has been confirmed to occur is important, particularly if the insect is perceived as a human health threat. The website, antmaps.org, shows exact locations where Asian needle ants have been found based on references included with each site.

Map – Current Species

The “needle” in the ant's common name refers to this ant’s stinger. Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, which includes many insects, such as bees, hornets, and wasps, with modified ovipositors (= stingers) that are used for defense. So, it’s not surprising that a wide range of ants have stingers, including ants commonly found in Ohio, such as Pavement Ants (Klotz et al., 2005).

Pavement Ants Engaged in Warfare

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 788 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings occurred from 2011-2021, an average of 72 deaths per year (CDC, July 7, 2023). However, the threat posed by the needle ant appears to be much lower. In a study involving 327 adults living in an ant-infested area in Korea, only 7 (2.1%) reported they had experienced allergic reactions to needle ant stings, primarily in the form of hives. Only 4 (1.2 %) had an anaphylactic reaction to the stings (Cho et al., 2002).

Leath et al. (2006) reported the first case of anaphylaxis due to an Asian needle ant sting in the United States. The patient, who survived, was a 67-year-old male in North Carolina who had shown a prior venom hypersensitivity to multiple species of stinging insects.

Asian needle ant stings suffered by nine zookeepers at the Greenville Zoo (Greenville, SC) initiated a survey to assess the impacts (Nelder et al., 2006). The majority (80%) experienced localized redness and swelling, sometimes developing into hives, with the pain lasting 2 hrs. to 5 days. Some had a more significant reaction, with 8% reporting significant local reactions, including swelling, recurring pain, and severe hives, with symptoms lasting 3 – 14 days. However, there were no reports of anaphylaxis.

Thankfully, unlike fire ants (Solenopsis spp.), Asian needle ants are not aggressive toward humans (Guénard et al., 2018). They will often flee from probing fingers rather than turning to sting. However, as with bees, wasps, and hornets, the wide-ranging nesting habits of the needle ant can place them in close proximity to people, where they may present a threat.

To be clear, there’s always a chance that hymenopteran venom can trigger an anaphylactic reaction in sensitive individuals. However, the data on Asian needle ants just doesn’t support a media-driven panic regarding this ant.

Identification

The ant specimens in Cincinnati, Ohio, were collected in 2017 from a single site, and aggressive actions were taken to destroy the colony, with a few individuals retained for study. We still do not know if the Asian needle ant colony was a "one-off" occurrence with a single population now ascended to ant heaven, or if other populations are lurking in the region. However, no other needle ant colonies have been confirmed in Ohio since 2017.

Asian Needle Ants – Cincinnati Observation Box

Asian needle ants have slender, shiny black to dark brown bodies that measure around 1/8" in length. One striking feature is their long, spider-like, light brown to orangish brown legs.

Asian Needle Ants – Cincinnati with Termites (= Meat Items)

Asian Needle Ants (Size)

Also note that the ants have a single, bulbous node (petiole) between their thorax and abdomen. Whether or not ants have one or two nodes (one lump or two?) is an important ant identification feature. For example, Fire Ants (Solenopsis spp.) have two nodes.

Asian Needle Ant

The general shape of the top of the thorax is also an important feature. The top of the Asian needle ant’s thorax is uneven as opposed to the evenly rounded top of the thorax of some other ants, such as Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.).

Carpenter Ant – Evenly Rouded Thorax

A Competitive Edge

Asian needle ants are highly competitive with several characteristics that give them six legs up on other ant species, both native and non-native. As with many of our native species, it’s common for non-native ants to acquire carbohydrates and amino acids from honeydew-producing hemipterans such as aphids, soft scales, and mealybugs in return for protection against predators. Indeed, it’s been theorized that the rapid expansion in the distribution of some non-native ants in the U.S., such as the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), has been aided by this resource (Angulo et al., 2024).

Carpenter Ant Tending Poplar Aphids

However, Asian needle ants are "meat eaters." They do not depend on phloem-feeding insects for their carbohydrate and amino acid needs. Although they will forage wherever they find tasty meat-treats such as dead (or live) insects and other arthropods as well as earthworms, they have a particular affinity for subterranean termites (Rhinotermitidae). Their colonies do not occur in habitats lacking termites, which is why nests are most often found in forests (Bednar & Silverman, 2011).

Asian Needle Ants – Cincinnati with Termites (= Meat Items)

Asian Needle Ant Possible Nest Site

It is theorized that the expansion of needle ants in the U.S. is primarily driven by termites serving as a plentiful, renewable, and high-quality food source. Interestingly, the needle ants don’t simply raid termite colonies. They locate their nests near termite colonies and occasionally harvest the termites, treating them like a herd of cattle (Bednar & Silverman, 2011).

Asian needle ant colonies may consist of several nests grouped together (polydomous), with each nest often having several queens (polygynous) (Guénard & Dunn, 2010). Also, the colonies continually produce reproductives (winged females and males) throughout the growing season from early April to early September, allowing the needle ants to continually establish new colonies (Guénard et al., 2018).

As with all ants, cold temperatures in the fall and winter will suppress Asian needle ant activity. However, the needle ants can become active in early spring before other ants "wake up" from their winter naps. This means they can get a head start on foraging and staking out new territories (Rice & Silverman, 2013).

The overall characteristics of Asian needle ants impart such strong competitive advantages that they have been shown in North Carolina to be capable of displacing the highly aggressive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) (Rice & Silverman, 2013). The Argentine ant is considered one of the world’s worst invasive species, with established populations in at least 40 countries on six continents (Angulo et al., 2024).

Impacts and Management

First and most important, if you suspect that you’ve encountered Asian needle ants in Ohio, do not leap to a conclusion before getting the ants identified. There are many small ants found in Ohio that may be mistaken for the needle ants. Some can deliver powerful bites accompanied by a dose of formic acid that produces a stinging sensation. Visit our OSU CFAES Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (PPDC) website to learn how to send a sample to be identified [ https://ppdc.osu.edu/ ].

Acrobat Ants on Peony Flower Bud

Little Black Ant ( Monomorium carbonarium) Embibbing Plant Sugar

Although the magnitude of the threat presented by Asian needle ants in Ohio and elsewhere in the U.S. is much less than presented in recent media reports, the ants do sting, and they nest in wide-ranging locations. While they prefer forested locations and are typically found beneath moist leaf litter, rocks, or in rotted logs, these ants will also nest in landscapes, particularly beneath mulch and possibly in compost that's infrequently tended. Colonies located where the ants present a stinging threat should be eliminated.

Asian Needle Ant Possible Nest Site

Searching for Asian Needle Ants in Composting Leaves

The non-native needle ants also threaten the biodiversity and ecology of Ohio forests. Research has shown that where the needle ants have become established in the U.S., the abundance and diversity of our native ants decline (Guénard & Dunn, 2010; Suehiro et al., 2017). Native ants provide an important service in forest ecosystems by collecting and distributing the seeds of a number of plant species. A significant decrease in seed dispersal has been documented where Asian needle ants have become established (Rodriguez-Cabal et al., 2012)

Unfortunately, the unique foraging habits of the Asian needle ant thwart the effectiveness of many traditional approaches to ant management. Although Asian needle ants are susceptible to toxicants found in traditional ant baits, baiting methods that attract honeydew-loving ants are ineffective because the needle ants are meat-eaters. Baiting methods that take advantage of workers using pheromone trails to guide other workers to food sources are also ineffective because needle ants don’t lay down pheromone trails (Liu, 2025).

Pavement Ants Following a Pheromone Trail

On a bright note, the relationship between Asian needle ants and termites is so strong, studies have shown that the efficacy of insecticidal ant baits containing termite cuticular extracts is significantly greater compared to baits without the termite extract (Buczkowski, 2023). Such augmented baits have yet to be developed targeting the needle ants, but the discovery offers a possible future approach to enhancing the efficacy of baits to eliminate needle ant colonies.

In the meantime, the most effective approach to eliminating needle ant colonies is a direct application of an appropriately labeled insecticide to the nests. This was done with the colony found in Cincinnati. A rake was used to expose the nest, then an insecticide application gave the ants a one-way ticket to Elysium, or perhaps perdition.

Literature Cited

Angulo, E., Guénard, B., Balzani, P., Bang, A., Frizzi, F., Masoni, A., ... & Santini, G. (2024). The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile: natural history, ecology and impact of a successful invader. Entomologia Generalis, 44, 41-61.

https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1360137/2/Angulo%20et%20al%202024.pdf

Bednar, D. M., & Silverman, J. (2011). Use of termites, Reticulitermes virginicus, as a springboard in the invasive success of a predatory ant, Pachycondyla (= Brachyponera) chinensis. Insectes Sociaux, 58, 459-467.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-011-0163-0

Boggs, J. (2018, January 26). Non-Native Stinging Ant Confirmed in Southwest Ohio. Buckeye Yard and Garden OnLine (BGYL).

https://bygl.osu.edu/node/970

Buczkowski, G. (2023). Termite cuticular extracts improve acceptance of bait for controlling invasive Asian needle ants, Brachyponera chinensis. Pest Management Science, 79(10), 4004-4010.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.7601

Cho, Y. S., Lee, Y. M., Lee, C. K., Yoo, B., Park, H. S., & Moon, H. B. (2002). Prevalence of Pachycondyla chinensis venom allergy in an ant-infested area in Korea. Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 110(1), 54-57.

https://doi.org/10.1067/mai.2002.124890

Guénard, B., & Dunn, R. R. (2010). A new (old), invasive ant in the hardwood forests of eastern North America and its potentially widespread impacts. PLoS One, 5(7), e11614.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011614

Guénard, B., Wetterer, J. K., & MacGown, J. A. (2018). Global and temporal spread of a taxonomically challenging invasive ant, Brachyponera chinensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist, 101(4), 649-656.

https://doi.org/10.1653/024.101.0402

Ivanov, K. (2019). The ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): an updated checklist. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 70, 65-87.

https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.70.35207

Klotz, J. H., deShazo, R. D., Pinnas, J. L., Frishman, A. M., Schmidt, J. O., Suiter, D. R., ... & Klotz, S. A. (2005). Adverse reactions to ants other than imported fire ants. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 95(5), 418-425.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1081-1206(10)61165-9

Leath, T. M., Grier, T. J., Jacobson, R. S., & Fontana-Penn, M. E. (2006). Anaphylaxis to Pachycondyla chinensis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 117(2), S129.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2005.12.517

Nelder, M. P., Paysen, E. S., Zungoli, P. A., & Benson, E. P. (2006). Emergence of the introduced ant Pachycondyla chinensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae) as a public health threat in the southeastern United States. Journal of Medical Entomology, 43(5), 1094-1098.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/43.5.1094

Liu, F. L. C., Ivanov, K., & Yang, C. C. S. (2025). Invasive Alien Ants in the United States: Current Status and Countermeasures. Global Environmental Research, 28(2), 171-178.

https://www.airies.or.jp/ebook/Global_Environmental_Research_Vol.28No2.pdf

QuickStats. U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) (July 7, 2023). Number of Deaths from Hornet, Wasp, and Bee Stings Among Males and Females — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011–2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:756. Accessed June 15, 2025.

http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7227a6

Rice, E. S., & Silverman, J. (2013). Propagule pressure and climate contribute to the displacement of Linepithema humile by Pachycondyla chinensis. PLoS One, 8(2), e56281.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056281

Rodriguez-Cabal, M. A., Stuble, K. L., Guénard, B., Dunn, R. R., & Sanders, N. J. (2012). Disruption of ant-seed dispersal mutualisms by the invasive Asian needle ant (Pachycondyla chinensis). Biological Invasions, 14, 557-565.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-011-0097-5

Smith, M. R. (1934). Ponerine ants of the genus Euponera in the United States. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 27(4), 557-564.

https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/27.4.557

Suehiro, W., Hyodo, F., Tanaka, H. O., Himuro, C., Yokoi, T., Dobata, S., ... & Matsuura, K. (2017). Radiocarbon analysis reveals expanded diet breadth associates with the invasion of a predatory ant. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 15016.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15105-1

Ron Wilson

In The Garden With Ron Wilson