'Lost' ant species reintroduced to woodland

A close-up of a test tube with ants in it, being held in a person's hands.

Image source, National TrustImage caption,

Southern red wood ants have disappeared from much of the Midlands, East and North

ByEleanor LawsonWest Midlands

Published52 minutes ago

A species of ant has been reintroduced to an area of Shropshire as part of a restoration project to support the health of woodlands.

Southern red wood ants are considered a keystone species, meaning they play an important role in supporting healthy ecosystems.

The conservation project is led by the National Trust in partnership with Swansea University and ant conservation specialists Ant Antics, has seen the species moved to woodland near Bridgnorth in an attempt to boost biodiversity across the Dudmaston Estate.

Ewan Chapman, countryside manager for the National Trust, said: "Southern red wood ants play an extraordinary role in woodland ecosystems."

He added: "By bringing them back to Comer Woods, we're restoring natural processes that support healthier soils, richer biodiversity and more resilient woodlands.

"This project is a great example of how targeted conservation action can help rebuild the complex relationships that make these landscapes thrive."

A group of three men and two women kneel over the ground in an area of woodland by a tree

Image source, National TrustImage caption,

The project is led by the National Trust in partnership with Swansea University and ant conservation specialists Ant Antics

The project also contributes to wider conservation efforts across the region, including habitat restoration work at Kinver Edge, also cared for by the National Trust, where southern red wood ants are being reintroduced.

They help maintain the balance of woodland habitats by influencing soil health, insect populations and the wider food web.

They also provide natural pest control, preying on insects such as caterpillars and aphids that can damage trees, helping to regulate insect populations and support the long-term health of the woodland.

Their large dome-shaped nests also act as biodiversity hotspots.

Across the UK, the ants have declined due to habitat loss, woodland fragmentation and changes in land management that have reduced the sunny woodland edges and glades they rely on.

In some regions they have completely disappeared, external, including much of the Midlands, East and North.

They are listed as near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

A close-up of a hand with a southern red wood ant on it, above soil

Image source, National TrustImage caption,

The ants play an important role in supporting healthy ecosystems

The project involves carefully translocating ant colonies into suitable habitats within Comer Woods, where conditions such as woodland structure, sunlight levels and food provide the best chance for the colonies to establish and expand.

Researchers from Swansea University have helped to plan the ants' transportation and will support ongoing monitoring to understand how the colonies develop and how they influence the surrounding ecosystem.

Dr Wendy Harris, from Swansea University, added: "Wood ants are true ecosystem engineers. Their nests influence soil nutrients, plant growth and whole communities of other invertebrates.

"Reintroducing them allows us not only to restore a lost species but also to study how their presence helps woodland ecosystems recover and function more naturally over time."