Nest of England's rarest ant species stolen from Devon reserve

Summarised from BBC Devon's report · Updated 2 Nov, 08:52 · Archive

A nest of narrow-headed ants, England's rarest ant species, has been stolen from a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve.

A nest of narrow-headed ants has been stolen from Chudleigh Knighton Heath, a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve and the last stronghold for the species in England. The disappearance was discovered in mid-October. The trust found 'clear signs of digging with a spade' at the site and has reported the matter to Devon and Cornwall Police.

Devon Wildlife Trust's species recovery officer Julia Balfour said the removal marked a 'significant loss for this species' and was 'every bit as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs'. A single nest can hold between 1,000 and 5,000 ants, along with one or more breeding queens that can live for as long as 25 years. Narrow-headed ants are nationally rare and near threatened on the IUCN red list. Laura Krusin, conservation officer for Buglife's Moor Invertebrates Project, said the removal could have a 'catastrophic impact on the population, putting even more pressure on an already threatened species'.

Read the report

• Nest of England's rarest ant species 'stolen'Devon Wildlife Trust says the narrow-headed ants' nest was taken from Chudleigh Knighton Heath.BBC Devon · 2 Nov, 06:17

In this story: Devon Wildlife Trust · Chudleigh Knighton Heath · Julia Balfour · Devon and Cornwall Police · Laura Krusin · Buglife

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