Colony of England's rarest ants stolen from last habitat in the country

A conservation charity says thieves have removed a nest containing England’s rarest ants from the last place in the country where they still survive.

Devon Wildlife Trust reported that the Narrow-headed Ant nest was taken without permission from its home in the Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon.

Such a nest could hold a colony between 1,000 and 5,000 ants-strong, as well as one or more breeding queens which could survive for as long as 25 years.

Evidence of the theft was first found in mid-October when conservation researchers conducting regular checks on the ants found a hollow where a known nest had been.

The area surrounding the hollow showed clear signs of digging.

Chudleigh Knighton Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), while Narrow-headed Ants are also a Section 41 species, Nationally Rare, and Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of species.

The theft had been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police, and the Devon Wildlife Trust was asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

Julia Balfour, from the Trust, said that the removal of a nest was a “significant loss for this species”.

“Narrow-headed Ant colonies develop slowly, and each mature nest, with its long-lived queens, represents many years of growth that cannot quickly be replaced.

“This is a crime every bit as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs. It shows the pressures that our nature and wild places are under.

“Our most recent survey recorded 142 active nests on the nature reserve, so every nest matters.

“This is the last population of Narrow-headed Ants in England, and losing even one colony sets back years of careful work by our staff, volunteers and partners.

“This incident makes us even more determined to ensure that our work to secure their future is a success.”

The nature reserve was the last stronghold for the Narrow-headed Ant in England.

A small number of colonies still exist in Scotland, including on the Royal Family’s Balmoral Estate.

The species, which is named after the distinctive “pinched” look to their heads, was once much more widespread but has seen its numbers dwindle over the past 100 years as its favoured heathland homes have been lost to building development and agricultural change.

The ant nest theft comes at a time when conservation efforts have recently begun, which specifically target improvements to secure the future of Narrow-headed Ants locally.

A collaboration between Devon Wildlife Trust and Buglife began in the summer after support was received from the Government.

Pc Lucy Wyatt, from Devon and Cornwall Police, added: “Sites of Special Scientific Interest are legally protected, and it is a criminal offence for any person to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, or disturb the protected area.”