Thieves have stolen a nest containing up to 5,000 of England’s rarest ants from a nature reserve in Devon, digging it out with a spade from the last place in England where the species still survives.
Devon Wildlife Trust said the nest of narrow-headed ants was removed without permission from its Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon. The theft was discovered in mid-October, when researchers carrying out regular checks found a hollow where a known nest had been, with clear signs of digging with a spade.
A colony worth stealing
A single nest can hold a colony of between 1,000 and 5,000 ants, along with one or more breeding queens, which can live for up to 25 years. The reserve’s most recent survey recorded 142 active nests, so every nest matters — and this one formed part of the last stronghold for the species in England.
Narrow-headed ants (Formica exsecta) are nationally rare and near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Chudleigh Knighton Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the ants are a Section 41 species, giving them legal protection. Deliberately disturbing or removing material from the reserve is a criminal offence.
Who would steal ants?
Devon Wildlife Trust has reported the theft to Devon and Cornwall Police, quoting crime reference 50260284768, and is asking anyone with information to come forward. The trust said it was the first time it had experienced the loss of an ant nest.
Two theories have been suggested. One is that the nest was taken by an ant collector, who would pay a high price for such a rare species. The other is that it was taken by someone keen on rewilding, who wanted to introduce the ants elsewhere. Both pose a risk to the ants, which were being closely monitored: moving a nest, even to suitable habitat, is a complicated procedure.
“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,” said Julia Balfour, a species recovery officer at Devon Wildlife Trust.
Sources: Devon Wildlife Trust (via SWNS Discover), 3 Nov 2026; BBC via Great Driffield Radio, 2 Nov 2026; Dexerto, 3 Nov 2026.
