This discovery was significant, as America has suffered greatly from the ant infestation, which affects 10 million hectares of land. The infestation results in economic losses amounting to more than US $ 5 billion per year in more than ten southern states. Even more worrisome is the fact that around 2 % of the people stung by red imported fire ants die from shock precipitated by an allergic reaction.
這一發現非同小可，因為依據美國慘痛經驗，遭紅火蟻盤據的土地高達一百萬公頃，受侵害的南部十幾州每年經濟損失在 50 億美元以上；更嚴重的是，被叮咬的人約有 2 % 會因過敏性休克而死亡。