Fire ant identification training in Miyakojima (February 2020)

Yoshi from the Okinawa Environmental Research Support Section (OERSS) was invited to a fire ant identification seminar hosted by the Ministry of the Environment in Miyakojima. Using photos and specimens, he taught port managers and employees of a local health center and museum how to identify alien ants. After the lecture, we entered the container yard in Hirara Port to identify ants and discussed methods to prevent the invasion and colonization of alien ants. Although Hirara Port is far from Okinawa Island and much smaller than Naha International Port, it is important to create and maintain a sustainable surveillance system to prevent the establishment of new invasive ants.