Red-barbed Ant

Insects comprise 54% of all described species yet are the most understudied. Recent research has found that bee populations have decreased considerably over the last 25 years. Only now is the importance of insect conservation beginning to be realised.

The red-barbed ant (Formica rufibarbis) is one of the most endangered species in Britain and is a national Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority. It only survives in the Scilly Isles and at one site, Chobham Common National Nature Reserve, in Surrey - part of Surrey County Council land managed by SWT. The decline of this ant is primarily due to habitat loss and degradation.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) a 3 year grant to bring back “Britain’s rarest animal” from the brink of extinction. With only three known nests of the red-barbed ant remaining on the British mainland the aim of the project is to establish a strong self-sufficient population in Surrey.

Members of the project are collecting newly mated queens from the island of St. Martin’s, Isles of Scilly to bring back to London Zoo (ZSL) to rear in a purposely built insect rearing facility until they have workers. Once enough workers are reared and the colony is large enough they are released onto specially prepared areas of heathland in Surrey. SWT has been creating the ideal habitat on heathlands for these ants - bare ground! Bare ground creation not only benefits these ants but the whole heathland ecosystem. Woodlarks, sand lizards, the mottled bee-fly and heath tiger beetles require bare ground and are all BAP priority species. To date the project has released over 20 colonies of the red-barbed ant.

Surrey heathlands are a key habitat in the National Biodiversity Action Plan. In saving the red-barbed ant we will also be saving an entire ecosystem of fascinating wildlife.

Useful links:

Foraging Ecology Of Red Barbed Ant 

Hymettus Website

ZSL website

Isle of Scilly website

Heather Angel website