Why the ant-smuggling trade is booming – and why we should care

Four men were recently arrested and fined for attempting to smuggle more than 5,000 ants out of Kenya. Aiming to sell them as part of the exotic pet trade, these ants were being stored in individual test tubes and syringes with small amounts of cotton wool for transportation. This unusual case highlights an important yet overlooked aspect of wildlife trafficking.

Wildlife trafficking is a crime against nature which occurs mainly because of consumer demand. Trafficking refers to the illegal smuggling and continued exploitation of wild animals, plants or timber. That includes, as in this case, insects.

Much conservation effort, reporting, study and enforcement activity focuses on recognised species such as rhinos. Wildlife trafficking is often associated more with these charismatic species and products made from them such as elephant tusks and rhino horn.

But wildlife trafficking includes a whole spectrum of illicit animal trade from poaching and smuggling to the distribution of protected and endangered species. There is also thriving illegal trade in insects.

For avid collectors, trophies and the exotic pet trade a wide array of insects have been seized over the years including rhino beetles into Japan, praying mantis eggs into the US and butterflies out of Sri Lanka.

Globally, insect species are declining. This is caused by an array of threats such as pollution, pesticides, climate change and urbanisation. Although the extent of the harm being caused by trafficking is unknown, this adds further pressure to species that already face extinction.

Protections for insects vary. The conservation status of each ant species affects their level of protection both nationally and internationally.

Ants that are on the red list – which is the largest classification of endangered species produced by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – and classed as critically endangered or endangered cannot be captured, killed or disturbed in any manner. An example is the anathema ant, which is currently listed as an endangered species.

International law puts controls on wildlife that may be threatened by trade. Some ants are protected under UK law which makes it an offence to disturb or destroy the nests of species like the red wood ant.

This case shows how wildlife trafficking extends to areas such as the smuggling of, and illegal trade, in ants. Some organised crime groups have moved from smuggling drugs and weapons to trafficking in plants, medicinal compounds and animals – including insects. Organised crime can include smaller and partially disorganised groups and networks. Where there is money to be made smuggling, networks will target wildlife.

The scale of the insect smuggling problem is unknown. Many cases will go unreported due to the clandestine nature of the trade. As such, both law enforcement and the wider public might not know or care about this being an offence.

Although there have been some insect trade seizures, law enforcement agencies are often underresourced and may view wildlife crimes as a low priority in comparison to other areas of criminality, such as drugs.

Often, insects are easily concealed. For example, 37 rhino beetles were discovered at Los Angeles International airport hidden within sweet and crisp packets.

Even once insects are seized, it can be difficult to identify the species to find out whether they are protected, given so many different levels of protections for species internationally.

Insect trafficking could introduce non-native species to new places.

If they establish a breeding population and pose a threat to local ecosystems, they can become known as “invasive species”. Invasive species can outcompete native species for food. Some destroy habitats. Others have the potential to bring new diseases to a country.

Not only can invasive insects pose threats to the environment such as the ongoing issue of invasive Asian hornets within Europe, but also affect people.

Hawaii spends US$10 million (£7.5 million) on invasive species control measures – US$2.4 million of that is set aside just for coconut rhinoceros beetles.

Although predicting which species and when they may become invasive is a challenge, insect trafficking can cause serious consequences.

Undervaluing some species protections provides avenues for traffickers, so enforcing trafficking laws for all wildlife, including insects, is crucial.

• Elliot Doornbos is a Senior Lecturer of Criminology at Nottingham Trent University