The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Sri Lanka: a taxonomic research summary and updated checklist

By

Dias, Ratnayake
Guénard, Benoit
Akbar, Shahid Ali
Economo, Evan
Sudesh Udayakantha, Warnakulasuriyage
Wachkoo, Aijaz

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

967

Pages

1--142

Subjects

Ants , Checklist , endemism , Formicidae , Sri Lanka

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.967.54432

 

Abstract

An updated checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Sri Lanka is presented. These include representatives of eleven of the 17 known extant subfamilies with 341 valid ant species in 79 genera.Lioponera longitarsusMayr, 1879 is reported as a new species country record for Sri Lanka. Notes about type localities, depositories, and relevant references to each species record are given. Accounts of the dubious and some undetermined species from Sri Lanka are also provided. 82 species (24%) are endemic whereas 18 species that are non-native to Sri Lanka are recorded. The list provides a synthesis of the regional taxonomical work carried out to date and will serve as a baseline for future studies on the ant fauna of this biodiversity hotspot.