What are your thoughts of reintroducing an ant species previously considered extinct to a certain region?

[Hunter36o]

So I was just reading up on our outrageous bee problem and it got me thinking.
Many countries are trying to reintroduce bee and other animals to certain areas of their regions that have previously reported as extinct in the particular area.
So I started to wonder what people's views are on reintroducing certain ant species that used to be present in a country and was not considered invasive or a danger to that particular ecosystem?
It would involve importing ants to an area which we are already against due to serious repercussions but can it be considered if it would help repopulate an area where is was originally considered native or a benefit to an ecosystem?

[antnest8]

This is a very interesting topic since you have to consider that if the ants were extinct by humans would it be good to reintroduce them? Some species just die out from NATURAL selection. Even if we killed off the species could you say that we were the NATURAL cause of death to that species? When you think of us humans we generally see us as destroyers of the environment and that we are natural but we are here and we are a product of nature ourselves. are we just the one species (like fire ants) that is just naturally superior? I personally do believe that we humans should try to protect the earth but part of that is keeping the natural cycle of thing going.

[antnest8]

oh and to actually answer your question I do think that reintroducing species is ok. The problem is what do you do with species like tetremorium who have been introduced but found there role in the ecosystem.

[Hunter36o]

That is an interesting point as I recently came across an add on YouTube about the different kinds of humanoid species of planet earth and through evolution the current human species came out on top. So it's it a fair question to ask if we can be considered a natural cause. However with that in mind I personally think we stopped being natural a long time ago through our technological advancements. Which in turn has caused what I would believe is a none natural annihilation of multiple earth species.

That is a fair question as I am not entirely sure they are native to Ireland but they fit in just fine and have never removed Lasius Niger as the alpha species (alpha species as in there is not a single spot in Ireland where you will not find them gals doing their thing)
My prime reasoning for this question is due to the fact the hairy wood ant is near threatened and can only be found in 4 locations in this country. Now after some scientists did a lot of research they are hell bent on trying to protect and repopulate the country with these ants as they are considered a native and ancient ant species of Ireland but now our population level has dropped way down in comparison to the UK. With populations at its lowest in decades.

[Hunter36o]

I'll be in contact with these select parks that protect these ants to see what laws we have on keeping them in an attempt to help repopulate their species.
Also another thing I read is apparently, tho personally I am not sure but these ants are supposed to house multiple queen's per nest or so it says. Yet at some point the Irish hairy wood ants stopped doing this which it said that they believe this along with the amount of deforestation is what has had a drastic effect on their survival. Would someone outside of Ireland be able to confirm this? Are hairy wood ants normally polygynous? Although I'm no scientist I have a feeling they mixed up ant species when making that note.