Iligan city: Researchers of the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) have warned of the potential effects on agricultural lands after they discovered an invasive species of ants in Iligan City. In an interview on Thursday, April Rose Monding, a graduate student of MSU-IIT's Department of Biological Sciences, said they found little fire ants, scientific name Wasmannia auropunctata, in two communities in Barangay Rogongon.

According to Philippines News Agency, Monding said the ants are known to "wipe out local wildlife" and cause damage to crops and farms. The discovery, which was published in the journal BioInvasions Records on Aug. 6, marks the first documented record of the little fire ant in the Philippines. The species is native to Central and South America.

Monding was joined by colleague Olga Nu±eza of MSU-IIT's Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics and Philip Ward, professor of the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of California in the United States. Monding said the discovery was accidental when they conducted fieldwork in October 2025.

"Luckily, it was not seen in Barangays Tibanga, Tinago, and Ditucalan at that time," she said. Globally, the little fire ant is considered one of the world's most invasive ant species. It has been introduced to Africa, North America, Taiwan, and multiple Pacific islands.