Exotic ants seized after Gumtree ad tipoff

Authorities have seized exotic ants from a Canberra home after being tipped-off about someone trying to sell them on Gumtree.

One of the seven species was identified as one of three known to cause the most number of cases of anaphylaxis in Thailand.

"While they may seem small and harmless, exotic ants can pose a huge risk to our environment and way of life, and represent a significant biosecurity risk to Australia," head of the agriculture department's biosecurity operations Nico Padovan said in a statement on Monday.