Huasheng Online, April 25 (Reporter Li Kunli Correspondent Luo Zhiping) Recently, the changsha post office customs supervision site inspectors intercepted 42 tubes and more than 1,000 live ants from parcels from the United Kingdom, which were identified as harvest ants. According to the investigation of the customs department, these ants may be illegally mailed in by domestic pet lovers for breeding and ornamental purposes.
Among the intercepted ants, 37 queens, with reddish black and shiny bodies, with a body length of about 14 mm, and the rest are a large number of small and medium-sized worker ants and eggs. The live ants are encapsulated in plastic test tubes and isolated from the transparent nutrient solution at the bottom of the tubes with a tampon, and the packaging technique is professional.
After preliminary identification, the batch of ants belongs to the harvest ant genus of the leaf-cutting ant subfamily of the ant family, because of its fast reproduction speed, beautiful body shape and simple feeding, it has gradually become a favorite breed of some domestic ant pet breeders. According to the data, harvest ants are mainly distributed in Africa and Eurasia, so named because of their habit of cutting and storing plant seeds and grains.
According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Quarantine of Animals and Plants Entering and Leaving the Country, live insects are prohibited from being mailed into the country, and illegal mailing of live ants into the country will bring great threats to China's ecological security. In addition, ants themselves may also carry various germs. Changsha Post Office Customs will inactivate and destroy the incoming ants in accordance with the law.