As winter, due to climate change, insects found only in tropics are normally feeling more at home in the whole of Europe. And travel and global business speed is making them more easier than ever to travel – as imported wood, potted plants or bus stoves.
But thesis is not at all experts with the foreign newcomer European environmental agency, DW reported that aggressive foreign species including insects, “are a major threat to native plants and animals in Europe and one of the five major causes of duality loss.”
However small, thesis pests compete with native species for resources and already destabilize the delicate ecosystem dealing with pollution, overgrowth, and the effects of a warming planet. They therefore cost an estimated € 12 billion ($ 13.8 billion) through the year in a serious problem for humans, disease spreading, destroying crops and recovery of European Union and elimination expenses.
Here are some of the biggest aggressive insects threatening Europe.
Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
The tiger mosquito, nominated for its specific white stripes, is a native of the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and was first seen in Albania in 1979.
It made its way for Italy and France in the 1990s, and is now well established in Balkan, Southern Ukraine, South-West Russia and Most of the Mediterranean region. But with its hard eggs and a new tolerance for the calm weather, it has been seen as Belgium, Germany and Sweden in the north in recent years.
Tiger mosquito thrives in urban environment, breed in water standing in places like flowers or gutters. This adaptability – with a tendency to be active during the day – has made humans an easy goal for insects, which can feed on blood several times a day.
In addition to having an itchy disturbance, they can be transmitted infectious human diseases such as dengue, chikungunia, waste nile and zika virus.
Asian Hornet (Vespa Velutina Nigithorax)
Basically, this stinging threat to East Asia came to France for the first time in 2004. It has been sent to more than a dozen European countries including Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Germany and UK.
It is not confused with the huge Asian Hornet, so it is known as “Murder Hornet” for its dangerous sting.
Although pricking by Asian Hornet can be quite painful for humans, agricultural non -profit CABI, there is a greater risk for food security and biodiversity. The species hunt on hundreds of important pollutants, which discovers as bumbalis, butterflies, and flies. But this is the main goal of European Honeyibi, which pollinate more than 80% of Europe crops and wild plants. A study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment In March 2025, it was found that Hornet could kill 50 bees in a day.
Asian Hornet is one of 88 species List of aggressive foreign species of concern for European UnionFor which member states need to prevent the spread of insects and erase it wherever possible.
American ants (Sollenopsis Geminata, Sollenopsis Invata, Sollenopsis Richterry, Vasmanania andopankata)
So four species of foreign ants in the most desired list of the European Union: tropical fire ant, red imported fire ant, black imported fire ant and Little Fire Ant.
Thesis Tiny invaders were introduced from Central and South America, in which the tropical fire ant first appeared as the 1860s in Europe.
With their painful sting that can take an allergic reaction, thesis species rapidly display other native ant populations and disrupt the ecosystem and agriculture with aggressive feeding habits.
A 2023 study at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona found that 7% was a suitable habitat for the European continent ant, and it is likely to grow climate change as their lustful limits increase. Half of Europe’s cities were already insecure for invasion – bad news, as thesis ants can damage the electrical equipment by chewing and causing small circuits through wires.
Brown Marmorecited Stink Bug
This highly aggressive plague from Asia is now widespread in France, Italy and Switzerland, but most present in the continent. They are particularly attracted to fruits, nuts and grapes, but are happy on vegetables and other crops like soya. In Italy, the Stink Bugs alone estimated € 588 million to damage fruit crops in 2019.
Farmers have traditional fogt back pesticides, but researchers are considering a more environmentally friendly method – beating the smell bug against their natural enemy.
The samurai wasp (tissolkus japonicus), another casual introduction from Asia, is a parasite that lays its eggs inside the eggs of the brown penetrated stink bug. The wasp larava stink bugs on the egg, finally kills it.
Some researchers have warned that relying on another foreign insect to handle the problem can cause more ecological disruption. But a 2023 study led by Cabi found that the WASP had little impact on most of the native insect population.
Asian Longhorn Beetle (Enopophora Globripinis)
Listed between 100 world’s worst aggressive foreign species For the conservation of nature by the International Union, this beetle is a major threat to deciduous trees and bushes.
Adults eat food on leaves, stems and twigs while larvae bury in the trunk, gradually kill a tree within a few years. Urban trees, which help cool cities, are typical weak due to the proximity to the ports; In Eastern America, where Beetle came in the 1990s, cities have a risk up to 35% trees.
Insects are often introduced in wooden packaging, and are found in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Poland. But their population is not yet widespread established, and some eradication campaigns have been successful.
Europe will learn to live with aggressive species
The EEA said, “aggressive foreign insects often appear more difficult than aggressive plants or large animals: they are small, mobiles, breed rapidly, are low life cycles and often go until the damage is done,” the EEA said.
Although it is impossible to completely eradicate for aggressive insect species, damage can be reduced. Asian hornets have been placed in some areas with special nets and their nests are removed in the bay, while researchers in Italy have recently used drones and artificial intelligence to detect and monitor Stink Bugs. Oth methods involve preventing insects at the source, for example, by treating wood packing with heat before shipping to kill longhorn beetles. In some cases, to prevent the spread of mosquitoes, it is simple as cleaning any standing water from your balcony or backyard.
But experts stressed that insects were not necessarily any worse than other aggressive plants and animals, given that “each group – the case of each attack – comes with its own biological and ecological complications.”
Edited by: Tamsin Walker
