'Pet ants' mailed from England seized

Central Chinese customs said they recently seized more than 1,000 live ants in a parcel from Britain.

It is the latest such seizure fueled by the rising fashion for exotic pets in China, customs officials from Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province, have said.

The ants were sealed in test tubes together with nutrient solution. They included 37 black-and-red queen ants, with a body length of about 1.4cm, and a large number of worker ants and eggs.

They were identified as harvester ants, which are gaining popularity among China’s pet lovers as they have a beautiful appearance, fast reproduction and are considered to be easy to raise.

Live insects are banned by Customs from entering China via mail.

Officials said the non-native ant species could pose a threat to the country’s ecosystem.

Changsha Customs said they would destroy the ants according to law.

China’s booming e-commerce is contributing to the fad for exotic pets including snakes, insects and lizards.

It has been blamed for fueling the smuggling of foreign and what are sometimes endangered species.