40 new ant species discovered in Phl

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines  – Researchers from the Palawan State University (PSU) and Harvard University have recently discovered 40 new ant species in the Philippines in a joint study paper published online.

According to Our Amazing Planet website, which posted this week the ZooKeys science journal of researcher David General of PSU and Gary Alpert of Harvard University, the new ant species belong to 11 various genera, bringing the total number of ant genera in the country to 92.

The new species were discovered at a private reforestation project at the Mt. Isarog Natural Park, a protected area in Camarines Sur.

The discovery was reviewed in a press release posted at the Eureka Alert website last June 19.

However, PSU researchers said the discovery could be short-lived as destruction of the insect’s natural habitat threatens the ant species.

General and Alpert said that there are 474 ant species and subspecies from the Philippines and at least 100 other unidentified species based on museum specimens and recent collections.

The total number of ant genera in the country was reported to be twice the number of genera found in biodiversity-rich Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa, which is the 4th largest island in the world.

Researchers described that one of the new species has a unique mouth and mandible, which may have evolved for the ants to manipulate their environment. 

“The total size of the ant fauna is no doubt much larger, almost more than 1,000 species are present,” one researcher said.

The Philippines is a hot bed of ant diversity due to the variation in climate, geologic history, and island structure.

However, researchers noted that deforestation in the Philippines will eliminate a number of ant species even before they are discovered.

They added that native ants help maintain the rainforest’s web of life. “Protecting native ants will necessarily result in protecting the plants and animals that depend on them,” General said.