Kenya Ant Trade: $220 Queen Fuels Wildlife Black Market

The growing popularity of keeping ants as pets is raising concerns among researchers about the potential for invasive species to disrupt ecosystems in China and beyond. A recent study found a significant portion of ants traded online are not native to the regions where they are being sold, despite import restrictions.

Invasive Ant Trade in China

Zhengyang Wang, an assistant professor at Sichuan University and part of a research team that published a report on the ant trade in 2023, warned the practice could “wreak havoc” with local ecosystems. Wang initially expressed excitement about the growing interest in ant keeping.

“A colony of pet ants are often kept in a formicarium, which is basically a transparent plastic box so that keepers can observe colonies at work, digging tunnels, collecting food, and guarding their queen,” Wang told the BBC. “I’d say it’s quite charming and… can be a good way of educating people about insects and their behaviour.”

However, researchers soon realized the potential dangers of trading invasive species. Monitoring online sales in China over six months, they discovered that more than a quarter of the traded species were not native to the country, despite it being illegal to import them.

“If the trade volume of invasive ants continues to grow, it’s only a matter of time before a few escape from their formicaria and become established in the wild,” Wang said.

The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, highlighted the potential impact of species like Messor cephalotes, an East African native. It explained that this species, one of the largest seed harvesters in the world, could potentially disrupt grain-based agriculture in southeastern China.

Ecological Concerns in Kenya

Environmental consequences are also a concern in Kenya, where harvester ants play a crucial role in grassland ecosystems. Martins, a researcher, explained that harvester ants are both keystone species and ecosystem engineers, helping to disperse seeds and create healthy grasslands.

Mukonyi Watai, a senior scientist at Kenya’s Wildlife Research and Training Institute, shares these concerns, warning that unsustainable harvesting, particularly the removal of queen ants, can lead to colony collapse, disrupting ecosystems and threatening biodiversity.

While legal collection of ants in Kenya is possible with a special permit – requiring a benefit-sharing agreement with local communities – the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) reports that no such permits have been applied for to date. The application process requires detailed information about the number of ants collected and their destination.