A prophet got down beneath a tree and he was stung by an ant. He ordered regarding the baggage and it was removed from beneath it. He then ordered regarding it and it was burnt. Allah then revealed to him : why not (just) one ant?  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجَهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً  

An ant stung a prophet. He ordered a colony of ants to be burned. Allah revealed to him : because an ant stung you, you have perished a community which glorifies Me.  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ نَمْلَةً قَرَصَتْ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ فَأَمَرَ بِقَرْيَةِ النَّمْلِ فَأُحْرِقَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي أَنْ قَرَصَتْكَ نَمْلَةٌ أَهْلَكْتَ أُمَّةً مِنَ الأُمَمِ تُسَبِّحُ  

The Prophet ﷺ prohibited to kill four creatures: ants, bees, hoopoes, and sparrow-hawks.  

إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْ قَتْلِ أَرْبَعٍ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ النَّمْلَةُ وَالنَّحْلَةُ وَالْهُدْهُدُ وَالصُّرَدُ  

When we were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he had gone to releive himself, we saw a Hummarah with two young ones. We took the young ones. The Hummarah came and began to spread out its wings. Then the prophet (May peace be upon him) came and said : who has pained this young by the loss of her young? Give her young ones back to her. We also saw an ant-hill which we had burned. He asked? Who has burned this? We replied : we have. He said: it is not fitting that anyone but the lord of the fire should punish with fire.  

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي سَفَرٍ فَانْطَلَقَ لِحَاجَتِهِ فَرَأَيْنَا حُمَّرَةً مَعَهَا فَرْخَانِ فَأَخَذْنَا فَرْخَيْهَا فَجَاءَتِ الْحُمَّرَةُ فَجَعَلَتْ تُعَرِّشُ فَجَاءَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَنْ فَجَعَ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا رُدُّوا وَلَدَهَا إِلَيْهَا وَرَأَى قَرْيَةَ نَمْلٍ قَدْ حَرَّقْنَاهَا فَقَالَ مَنْ حَرَّقَ هَذِهِ قُلْنَا نَحْنُ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعَذِّبَ بِالنَّارِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ النَّارِ